Saffron

About

Saffron is difficult to substitute; turmeric, safflower, and annatto are sometimes used in its place but only approximate its color and a slight bitterness, not its true flavor, which combines notes of sea air, sweet dried grass, and a hint of rusting metal. This rare, expensive spice is most often paired with sweet, pale ingredients that showcase its color, such as rice, bread, fish, potatoes, cauliflower, and white beans. It also combines well with other bitter flavors like almonds or citrus zest, and pairs harmoniously with other bittersweet florals such as rose.

Pairs well with saffron

• CiLemonIn paella, saffron gives the rice a steady background flavor while a squeeze of lemon just before serving adds bursts of brightness across…
• EaPotatoSaffron's golden color makes potatoes look especially rich, and a little is sometimes added to Spanish tortilla or Italian potato gnocchi.
• CiOrangeCitrus and saffron pair in Mediterranean fish stews and North African tagines, as well as in cakes and cookies.
• WoAlmondAlmond's sweetness, boosted with sugar, softens saffron's sometimes bitter edge, similar to how sugar, chocolate, and honey are used to…
• MaShellfishSaffron has a slightly iodine-like, oceanic scent that suits shellfish especially well, as noted by food writer Gary Allen, a quality that…
• GrAniseFood writer Anne Willan generally advises against pairing saffron with strongly flavored herbs or spices, but makes an exception for…
• MeChickenSaffron and chicken are classically paired in chicken biryani and some paellas, where saffron's bitterness contrasts with the sweetness of…
• MeLambIran, the world's largest saffron producer, pairs it with lamb or chicken in chelow kebab, served with saffron rice and sometimes charred…
• SuCauliflowerFood writer David Rosengarten added cauliflower to a saffron-flavored risotto Milanese while searching for a flavor reminiscent of white…
• SpNutmegBoth spice traditional Cornish saffron cake, a bread-like loaf historically eaten on Good Friday with clotted cream.
• CiCardamomSaffron shares cardamom's affinity for rich, creamy dishes and complements its lemon-like notes; the two pair well in ice cream, custard…
• FrRhubarbFood writer Mark Bittman tested rhubarb against several herbs and spices, rejecting tarragon, mint, cumin and coriander, before settling…
• MaWhite FishSome Italian cooks are said to avoid this pairing, believing saffron overwhelms fish, a view food writer Elizabeth David disputed, a…
• FfWhite ChocolateSaffron-flavored white chocolate is made by at least one specialty chocolatier; white chocolate is said to draw out saffron's hay-like…