The Return of English Saffron

Nicola here. Today I am talking about one of my favourite spices, saffron. I absolutely love saffron flavouring in my food and when I read recently that saffron was being grown in England for the first time in 200 years I was quite excited. English saffron tastes different from imported saffron. It has a honey sweetness and scent that offsets saffron’s slightly bitter under taste. This adds a very distinctive flavour to all sorts of recipes from those involving fish to cakes and even potatoes.

 Saffron is obtained from Crocus Sativus and it was once
a flourishing industry in England. In 1597 Gerard wrote in his Herbal "Saffron groweth plentifully in Cambridgeshire, Saffron Walden and other places thereabouts as corne in the fields". 

The “home” of saffron was Saffron Walden in Essex (I guess the clue is in the name) where there was a particularly favourable soil and climate. Up until the 16^th century the town was simply called Walden, and then Chipping Walden once a market was introduced in the medieval period. When the saffron trade became very lucrative the town was renamed in honour of its most famous product. The wealth derived from selling Saffron made the town rich and it boasts some stunning architecture.

During the period Saffron had many uses in medicines, as a condiment, in perfume, as an aphrodisiac, and as an expensive yellow dye. The golden orange colouring of saffron was unstable, however, and soon faded to a buttery yellow. Traditionally the wearing of saffron coloured cloth was restricted to the nobility. They also used a saffron-based perfume on their hair and as an air freshener! On the left is a picture of a saffron-coloured Regency gown.

Almost from the start, however, the production of saffron in Essex was threatened by puritan sentiment. Saffron Walden was the headquarters of Cromwell’s New Model Army during the English Civil War and he visited the town in 1647, staying at the Sun Inn where the ghosts of parliamentarian soldiers are still said to haunt the rooms and passageways. Saffron Walden also has strong connections to America as it was from there that many puritans emigrated to Massachusetts in the 1640s. Puritans disapproved of the saffron; they considered it too fancy and preferred more plain, un-spiced food.

 The import of cheaper saffron from Kashmir and Iran in the late 18^th century put an end to Saffron Walden’s trade. Harvesting saffron was expensive and labour intensive since each crocus yielded only 3 stigma which had to be hand picked in the morning and then dried in a warm, dark environment to produce the saffron strands. Also the elite market, the Georgian and Regency upper classes, those who could afford saffron, were turning to new exotic imports such as coffee, chocolate and vanilla. The town turned to malting beer instead as it was cheaper to produce.

A gram of saffron sells for up to £75 (over $100 dollars) for 0.03% of an ounce, making it more expensive than gold. David Smale, the farmer who has re-introduced the growing of saffron at Saffron Walden bases his techniques on a 16^th century manuscript he found in the town library. He recommends the following recipe:

 Saffron and mackerel pate

 For the infusion:

20 saffron strands
3 tsp almost-boiling water

For the pate:

4 fresh mackerel fillets
2 tsp orange oil
200g/7oz low-fat soft cream cheese
Salt and black pepper
55g/2oz unsalted butter

 1 Lightly crush the saffron strands in a pestle and mortar. Transfer to a lightproof container – a ceramic ramekin with a lid, or similar. Pour in the water, cover and leave to infuse for several hours or, ideally, overnight in the fridge.

2 Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Lay the mackerel on a large sheet of foil on a baking tray, season and sprinkle with a tsp of the infusion, a knob of butter and the orange oil. Wrap the fish in the foil, bake for 15 minutes then remove from the oven and leave to cool in the foil.

3 Flake the flesh into a blender and add all the juices from the foil parcel, retrieving any saffron filaments. Add the cream cheese, a little more seasoning and another tsp of the infusion. Blend for a minute or two, until smooth, and spoon into a ramekin.

4 Gently melt 55g/2oz butter in a saucepan, add the remaining tsp of the infusion and pour over the top of the pate. Refrigerate overnight, so the saffron continues infusing. Serve with warm crusty bread or oatcakes.

 Are you a saffron fan? Do you enjoy cooking with it, or do you like the rich golden colour of it for clothes or the scent of it for perfume? Or is there a different spice you prefer?

 

Comments

[HJ]

I have to admit that I couldn't recognise the flavour, but I do love the colour it produces in a cake, for example. I'm delighted to see that it's being grown again in England.

[Nicola Cornick]

Yes, I love saffron buns, HJ, and other cakes flavoured with it. They look gorgeous! It's great that it's being grown again here. I just hope our climate doesn't wash it out!

[Beth Elliott]

Another really fascinating post, Nicola. As you say, 'the clue is in the name' but Saffron Walden had never come up on my radar. Maybe they could connect with Safronbolu, another town that thrived on the saffron trade, being on the trade route from Asia to Europe and close to the Black Sea in Turkey.
I really love that regency era gown in saffron yellow and no doubt a character in my story is going to be flaunting one at a ball soon.

[Lillian Marek]

I have loved saffron from my first taste of it, in arroz con pollo. Two odd things about the cost of it:

A century ago, thrifty housewives would add it to the pot to give a bit of color to the soup when they couldn't afford meat.

A few years ago, I needed some saffron, but couldn't find any at the supermarket.The manager explained that they stopped carrying it because people would take the little envelope out of the jar and return the empty jar to the shelf.

I've always wondered if I could grow Crocus sativus in my yard, but I figure I would have to plant about a thousand bulbs and then the moles and voles and squirrels would eat them all.

[Jobev]

I've wondered about growing saffron. It might be worth the effort if it would grow well. There are inferior saffrons. I'm not sure what they are, but in Canada you could buy stuff that looked like saffron but was cheap. Of course it didn't have that subtle flavour.

[Lillian Marek]

A friend of mine bought a large packet of "Turkish saffron." It was turmeric.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Fascinating, Nicola! I've idly wondered about the name Saffron Walden because I didn't know that saffron had ever been grown in England--I associate it with sunnier places. I've never had much contact with actual consumption. If I bought any, I'd probably be afraid to use it because of the cost. *G*

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you, Beth! So interesting to know about Safronbolu too. Yes, I thought the gown was stunning!

[Nicola Cornick]

I'd love to try and grow the Crocus Sativus, Lillian. You can buy a starter pack from English Saffron although I think you are right that if you need 20 strands for the pate recipe, you would certainly need a lot of bulbs to produce enough to eat for more than one meal!

[Nicola Cornick]

I think I read that Gardenia was used as a substitute for saffron, Jo, but it would be fascinating to know what else was used. True taste will out!

[Nicola Cornick]

Ah! Sneaky!

[Nicola Cornick]

I had thought that too about Saffron, Mary Jo - that it would surely grow in a warmer climate than the UK. I was even more amazed to read that they also grow it in Scandinavia, but then it can get hot there in the summer.

[Beth Elliott]

This is becoming a very interesting discussion. I just googled 'Turkish saffron', apparently it's made from safflower, which is also used to dye material; the enterprising vendors in Istanbul's Spice Bazaar also sell Indian saffron, which is turmeric. If you want real saffron, they have Iranian saffron, at five times the price of the other [fake] stuff.

[Anne Gracie]

Lovely blog, Nicola — I didn't know saffron was grown in quantity in England — though I associate crocus with English spring, so I should have. :) I use saffron in my cooking, and I love to add a few strands to a rice dish, to give it that delicate color and flavor. And I'm pretty sire I used it in a biscuit (cookie) recipe once, but can't remember. I always buy it in the threads, because I'm suspicious that the powder might just be color. Not sure about that pate recipe — I'm thinking the flavor of the fish would drown the saffron flavor.But I might have to try it anyway.

[Dory Codington]

There was a warming period in Europe that ended around the time of the English Civil War, so Cromwell's grumpiness might not have been the reason for the end of the crop. The 1600's were a little ice age, a real big deal to the Puritans when they landed in Massachusetts and confronted weather they had never seen before.

[Karin]

I think I may have mentioned here before that I grow my own saffron. You can buy the corms from any decent flower catalog in the U.S. I think I originally bought 10 or 20 corms about a dozen years ago. It multiplies on its own, and I've dug it up and divided it several times. and given some corms away to people. It blooms in mid to late October in New Jersey, and the harvest varies, but it's usually at least a tablespoon or two once it's dried, enough for several paellas and fish stews. I don't have it in a separate bed, it's simply underplanted in my perennial border, since the growth time is opposite to most spring and summer flowers. No care is involved, the only time I pay attention is when it's time to pick it. The foliage disappears over the summer, and it sends up new foliage in the fall. I can't give you a taste comparison to the store-bought stuff, since I've never been willing to spend the money on it!

[Jenny]

I too love saffron, and indeed it can be grown in colder climates. In fact it is grown just outside the small town I live in her in Tasmania, and it is grown in commercial quantities. Still hard to get though, as most of it is exported to the mainland for the restaurant use.

[Nicola Cornick]

Ah, that explains it. Funnily enough I came across a reference to "Turkish saffron" in the newspaper yesterday. I had no idea that that was what they called turmeric.

[Nicola Cornick]

I buy the threads as well, Anne. Your comment reminded me of how lovely saffron rice is. I must make some! I have to admit that fish and saffron wasn't the first combination I would go for either!

[Nicola Cornick]

That's a fascinating point, Dory. I would imagine that the Massachusetts weather was a terrible shock to anyone accustomed to the maritime climate of the UK.

[Nicola Cornick]

How wonderful to be able to harvest your own saffron, Karin! I also like the fact that it flowers in the autumn and so will give colour to the garden out of season.

[Nicola Cornick]

I had no idea that saffron flourished in a colder climate until I read up on it. That is very interesting, Jenny. I am putting together a "saffron map" of where it is cultivated.

[Shannon]

You can add Afghanistan to that list. Someone has the idea that it can be an alternative crop to poppies.

[Jayne Diamond]

Thank you for the post. I love using saffron - just the idea of someone hand picking it in the morning in a field of crocuses (I bet they get bad backs though!) I've been experimenting with a few Regency recipes and just made Sally Lunn buns, which are coloured and flavoured with saffron, so it was really interesting to read this. It's great that it's being grown in the UK again - I'm not sure where what I buy comes from at all.

[Michele]

Fascinating! I had no idea. I wonder if this explains the use of saffron in so many traditional Scandinavian recipes (the rolls specifically baked for Santa Lucia Day, for example). Vikings roamed the globe, to be sure, but I've thought it odd that an expensive ingredient from so far could be used so often in Scandinavian homes.

[Nicola Cornick]

Interesting idea!

[Nicola Cornick]

Jayne, the Sally Lunn buns sound delicious. I much prefer that recipe to the mackerel and saffron pate!

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you, Michele. This has been such an interesting discussion. I hadn't heard of the Santa Lucia rolls and it would make perfect sense if home grown saffron was used in Scandinavian recipes.