Saffron

The extraordinary story of saffron’s history, health benefits, and recipes

Image credit: Marlik saffron on Unsplash

Saffron—the most expensive spice in the world—is priced as gold, between $50-60 per gram for the Australian species, among 80 different varieties. Despite the price, the use in different cuisines is enjoyed, from Persian rice to chicken and potato dishes. In my personal opinion, I love the flavor in rice. I’ve tried it once, and I remember having it in my cupboard for a very long time.

Before we talk about recipes, or anything else. It’s a good start to delve into the origins, and history of this interesting spice. The origins are uncertain, but records show spice trade for centuries, dating back to Assyrian civilization during the 7th century BC. Other uses of saffron include religious rituals, cosmetics, and textiles during the bronze age and ancient Greece. An interesting fact, spice wars occurred due to this spice leading to the fall and rise of many cultures, making it the longest produced commodity till today.

The word saffron comes from the Persian word—Zaafaran—which means yellow flowers, or gold strung. Depending on your description, and eyesight. I’m not surprised with the name because when you dissolve one thread in water, it gives a red-yellowish, or golden color. The production is found all over the world from Asia, Europe, with 80-90% of production coming from Iran. The fascinating thing is that the only part used is the stigma, inside part, which makes up 7% of the flower. Lastly, the agricultural process is labor intensive for one gram.

Food and culture

its importance in everyday society, and how it shapes us

Image credit: Unsplash

This blog is a continuation of fish and chips article. Food heritage and identity are close to my heart. History, culture, and food link human beings. Also, food shapes our sense of self and belonging. For example, sitting down and enjoying a warm, home-cooked meal brings us closer together. My Jasmine brown rice verde recipe blog is another example of how sumac—an old Middle Eastern spice—can bridge cultures. Not only that, but food can be a cultural marker. As food choices define cultural identity.

Marmite

From war rations to gourmet delight: the history of marmite—love it or hate it

Image credit: David Griffiths on Unsplash

Marmite has a fascinating journey from its wartime origins, to becoming a beloved pantry staple worldwide. In the 1900s, a scientist by the name of Justus Freiherr von Liebig discovered the yeast. This started the journey of utilizing it as an extract.

The product had many uses in the old times. For example, during the war people used it for health benefits like curing anemia. Marmite is also a vegan source of B vitamins, including supplemental vitamin B12.

Jasmine brown rice verde with roasted chicken thighs, and fattoush salad

The process started out with the sumac spice, and memories of Jordan. I started going through all the recipes that sumac can be used in, and how I can combine them. I realized that two dishes are popular, fattoush and mussakhan. The salad and meat combined very well together as well as sumac spice. After that, I wrote all the ingredients down on a piece of paper. Also, looked into the flavor matrix book, and how to eat a peach by Diana Henry for guidance.

Injera

Toasted injera bread

Toasted injera bread has been an addiction as a snack, bread or crouton substitution, or an addition to a meal such as a salad. Also, great substitute for crackers with cheese. There is an Ethiopian store next to where I live, and I buy two to three bags. The energy it gives me to get through the day is great. The grain is healthy and is high in iron. The following article gives more information on this grain:

Teff Flour: Uses, Nutrients, and Benefits (healthline.com)

Brownies, and sharing the love ❤️

This weekend I had a craving for brownies! I looked through my freezer and pantry to see what I can experiment with. I found a couple of items that sounded interesting, and wanted to see how the taste, flavor, and texture will turn out. Remember, taste + aroma + mouthfeel (texture is part of mouthfeel) = flavor from my previous posts. 

Cabbage recipe with GF sourdough biscuit, radicchio, and spicy sprouts

I got a mix of recipes in this dish during my breakfast meal – gluten free sourdough biscuits with fried egg, cabbage with cumin & pear, and radicchio with spicy sprouts on the side. My creative juices started working this morning. I wanted to use as much as I have in the fridge; eliminating food waste is important. I try my best to use all my food in the fridge. I go with the phrase, ” eat breakfast like a king & dinner like a poor man.”

Gluten free Sourdough

Love this gluten free sourdough recipe:
https://lnkd.in/gzhQqMt

Food preservation

Image credit: eating well

Consumers’ shopping behaviors towards purchasing food has changed these past few months. Many people have increased consumption of canned food as a way to stock up in their pantry. This change in consumer behavior has affected the food supply. As Henzel from the food technology magazine mentions, “Pandemic food hoarding started with canned goods, then moved to frozen vegetables, frozen meals, bottled water, and shelf-stable products.” Also, Food Insight mentions, “nearly 4 in 10 said that they were buying more shelf-stable, pantry foods and buying more groceries each time they shopped. At the same time, nearly half (47%) of survey takers said that they were eating more home-cooked meals than one month ago. Nearly 1 in 3 reported that they were ordering less takeout or delivery than usual, while 16% say they were ordering in more often than they used to. Forty-two percent of survey takers reported buying more packaged foods than usual over the past month, while the same number said that their packaged foods purchases haven’t changed.  Those under age 45 were more likely to be upping their packaged foods purchases; the same age group reported buying more frozen foods as compared to those 45-64 and 65+. At the same time, 59% of people said that they haven’t changed their perceptions on the healthfulness of packaged foods. Twenty-two percent said that they now believe them to be healthier than they did before, while 10% said that they think packaged foods are less healthy.”  Moreover, canned food in our pantry helps curve hunger when we’re in a hurry. Some healthy options include black beans, tuna, and chickpea. These options are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Shelf life, food waste, food packaging, and quarantine

This week, I decided to write about expiration dates on packages since we are all trying to figure out how to shop for food. Buying groceries every 2 weeks can be a challenge. Vegetables, fruits, and spreadable cheese can go bad quick. If you go by these package dates, you’ll be okay. There are three dates:

1- Use by: This is the date by which the product should be eaten because quality goes down. It’s not a safety issue. There might be a decline in quality, and date is set by manufacturer.