Saffron: seasoning and coloring

Saffron is the delicate red stigma of a small purple crocus with glasslike leaves and large purple, lily-shaped flowers. The saffron crocus, a member of the lily family, generally flowers in the fall.

Saffron crocuses grow to a height of about 6 inches. Each purplish, red-veined flower has three orange-brown stigmas (upper extremities of the pistils), which are hand-picked and dried.

Its stigmas and flowers are used as a seasoning and as a coloring agent. Saffron’s stigmata, called threads in the culinary world, have a rich, briny flavor.

They have a pungent aroma and a hot, bitter flavor. Saffron powder can be added directly to any recipe, where its deep yellow dye, delicate aroma and unique flavor will be released immediately.

Saffron is major seasoning in Arabic and Indian cooking. Traditionally, they have been used to flavor French bouillabaisse, Spanish paella, cakes, breads, cookies, and the cuisine of East India, the Middle East, and North Africa. It is also used to flavor and color soups, stews, rice, curries, couscous, pastries, liquors and cheeses.
Saffron: seasoning and coloring

Introduction to soy sauce

Soy sauces are important seasonings in Eastern Asia. The prototype soy sauce was originated in China approximately 2000 years ago and had been substantially changed since it was brought into Japan. It has been extensively improved for hundreds of years to complement Japanese climate and food culture.

The Japanese soy sauce uses soybean and wheat with ratio 1:1 as the main raw material, whereas the Chinese type uses no or very little wheat besides soybean. Soy sauces are salty liquid seasonings ranging from amber to dull brown color, produced from soy beans/defatted soy grits with or without wheat.

Dark soya sauce is one of the two main types of soy sauce. It is brewed longer, made with less salt than many other soy sauce products had has molasses or another caramelized sugar added. It is richer, tastier and slightly sweet. Dark soy sauce is manly used for adding color and flavor to a dish. It is mainly used during the cooking rather than after, its flavor develops during heating.

Thin soy sauce is saltier and not viscous as dark soy sauce. It does not cling to the glass container when shaken, and it only slightly tints foods made with it. This type of soy sauce used to be referred to as light soy sauce.
Introduction to soy sauce

Yeast extract of Vegemite

Thinly smeared on toast, this odd substance is eaten by Australians and New Zealanders. It is usually described as a thick, black, sticky salty yeast spread that is often used on toast during breakfast.

It is an Australian brand that reaches the hearts of its most loyal users - gaining brand devotion that many other brands can only dream of attaining.

It is made from yeast slurry, a brewery waste product. Basically, yeast extract is concentrated nutritional yeast whipped into a spreadable texture.

The appearance of vegemite, which is similar to used chewing tobacco, repels the uninitiated, as does its taste and smell.

It’s rich in thiamin and pantothenic acid , vegemite has lots of the B vitamins.

Vegemite could be spread on toast or crackers, it could be used as a soup base, it even turned out that it made for marvelous seasoning mixed with ground beef.
Yeast extract of Vegemite

Seasonings

Seasonings
Generally, herbs and spices or products derived from them, are blended together to form seasonings: rarely does the flavoring effect of one herb or spice suffice to make a well rounded profile. Domestically, all too often only pepper and salt suffice to give an adequate savor, although the housewife is certainly becoming more venturesome in the use of herbs and spices. A seasoning should enhance the natural flavors present: may be modify them a little to suit individual palates: but never swamp them. A few national dishes tend to disprove this contention but, generally, seasonings should be used primarily to add zest and interest to a dish to make it appetizing to the consumer.

There are no set rules for using spices; indeed, there is little precise information in this elusive art but most domestic recipes advise nature and amount of spices to be used to suit average taste. There is now a very flourishing trade in packaged herbs and spices as well as preblended seasonings for specific product types. Skill in blending seasoning only built up by practical experience as these valuable flavoring adjuncts do not all have the flavoring power – some are excessively strong and over powering; others are extremely weak and as readily suppressed.
Seasonings