History of saffron foods, saffron stigmas were also soaked in water to yield a golden-yellow solution that was used as a fabric dye. Some historians believe that saffron first came to China with Mongol invaders by way of Persia. Saffron is mentioned in the ancient Chinese medical text "Shennong Ben Cao Jing", believed to be from the 3rd century AD (but attributed to mythological emperor Shennong). Yet the Chinese were referring to saffron as having a Kashmiri provenance. The Chinese medical expert Wan Zhen wrote that "[t]he habitat of saffron is in Kashmir, where people grow it principally to offer it to the
Saffron (trade) kg a month. Books Journal articles Miscellaneous Saffron (trade) In the context of trade, saffron is one of the world's most expensive spices by weight, saffron consists of stigmas plucked from the vegetatively propagated and sterile "Crocus sativus", known popularly as the saffron crocus. The resulting dried "threads" are distinguished by their bitter taste, hay-like fragrance, and slight metallic notes. The saffron crocus is unknown in the wild; its most likely precursor, "Crocus cartwrightianus", originated in Crete or Central Asia; The saffron crocus is native to Southwest Asia, and was first cultivated in the area now known as Greece. "Saffron,