Saffron rice chopped pistachio nuts. Similar other dishes exist in other parts of Western Asia. Saffron rice Saffron rice is a dish made from saffron, white rice and also usually vegetable bouillon. Saffron rice is found in the cuisines of many countries (in one form or another). The recipe is similar to plain cooked rice with addition of ingredients. Saffron rice is a dish in the cuisine of Seychelles. In India and Pakistan, plain saffron rice is cooked with joha rice or Basmati rice, saffron, vegetable bouillon, ghee, and bay leaves. In Iran, India, and Pakistan, sweet saffron rice called "zarda" is
Saffron to saffron as having a Kashmiri provenance. According to Chinese herbalist Wan Zhen, "[t]he habitat of saffron is in Kashmir, where people grow it principally to offer it to the Buddha." Wan also reflected on how it was used in his time: "The flower withers after a few days, and then the saffron is obtained. It is valued for its uniform yellow colour. It can be used to aromatise wine." The Minoans portrayed saffron in their palace frescoes by 1600–1500 BC; they hint at its possible use as a therapeutic drug. Ancient Greek legends told of sea voyages to Cilicia,