History's Most Expensive Spice: Saffron
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- čas přidán 11. 09. 2024
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Subtitles: Jose Mendoza
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Saffron Farm: Safa.daneshvar, CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommon..., via Wikimedia Commons
Crocus flowers: By Safa.daneshvar - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikime...
Saffron: By Salonik Saffron - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikime...
Saffron crocus: By Serpico - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikime...
Audley End: By Lukasz Derejski - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikime...
Katerina Lemmel: By Volker Schier Volkerschier - photographyOwn work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikime...
Mane Hair: By The original uploader was Pottok at German Wikipedia. - Transferred from de.wikipedia to Commons., CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikime...
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Rice Of Flesh!!! Ooohhh... I definitely have a new name for my trusty paella...
Nice touch with the Dutch ice-skating painting, for the small ice age!
Max, Mission Wine & Spirits There in California carries Indian Summer Saffron Gin!
Bush telly (television) is a camp fire if you didn't know 🙂
@John Dahlager you sound like you're in a rough patch
I have an Iranian friend who explained that they always “ roast the saffron” in a dry skillet for a minute or two before adding it to other ingredients. I must say it intensifies the taste and aroma.
Also steeping saffron in alcohol works to extract (hence this is the medium used to make extracts) the most out of the threads.
@@LionKing-ew9rm
How does that apply to roasting spices? Your comment is about grinding them or otherwise breaking them up into smaller pieces, which roasting does not do.
Makes sense. Toasting spices is a long-honored tradition.
@@ragnkja Just wanted to insult someone for no good reason, I figure.
@@busimagen
Pointing out something that’s very common knowledge and insulting OP while missing the less common knowledge OP was highlighting is pretty rude and irrelevant, in my opinion.
Considering how much Saffron costs, the title "rice of flesh" may refer to the dish costing an arm and a leg.
Haha. Is it even more expensive than vanilla? Because I about choked when I went to go buy whole vanilla beans to make ice cream. That’s crazy if so, and makes me extra curious about what it taste like!
@@anti-ethniccleansing465 Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, and has been for centuries. Vanilla is the second most expensive spice. Both come from flowers (crocus and orchid).
Saffron comes out to $3798.00 Canadian / 100 grams in 2019. I don't think the price fluctuates too far from that since then.
@@Gitami
I was listening to tasting history videos when I was cooking the other night, and I remember Max mentioning that there was a link in the description for saffron that wouldn’t break the bank, but I forget which video it was...
It wasn’t this one (idk if he used the same link or not, as the one that is linked here doesn’t seem that great of a price). There was only one other video that came up when I plugged in “tasting history saffron,“ but the link for saffron in that video is broken, and I don’t think that was the video that I’m thinking of anyways.
@@Gitami Luckily the average cook would never need 100 grams of it. Most recipes only call for a pinch. My last saffron purchase was about $8 New Zealand (which would be less than $6 U.S.), and it’s lasted me ages.
Saffron City gym and all those warp tiles 😵💫
Oooh, THAT's why you picked the Kadabra! I thought it was just because they're the right colour for it. Good call.
Jose, I just want to complain that I rewatched the soul cake episode like you told me to, and now CZcams is sending me every single video ever made of soul cakes 🤣🤣
The tower one is even more confusing 😖
@@rs8751 I will own that 😂 sowie
It is known as José hack. Mine keeps sending me more Pokémon list videos 😁
My first tryst with Saffron was comical. My dad just came back from a trip to Iran and he was given saffron in a small jar as a gift. I always heard about saffron but never knew how to cook it. So I made some instant noodles and sprinkle some of it on top of the soup. It smells really good and elevated the taste a bit. My mom went berserk when she saw that saffron jar was open and I used it for instant noodles. Probably made thst 50cent instant noodle to a $5 menu item hahahahaha.
That's such a great juxtaposition of ingredients!! 😂 You could pass it off as a performance art piece, seriously...
It's like putting gold leaves on a cheap store bought biscuit
@@nekochadechu gold leaves on a ramen lol
@@BrahmaDBA$16 bowl of ramen from salt bae's restaurant lmao
People always throwing a fit when you use something for what it was made for, smh
Fun fact - I was told that a common poor man's substitute for saffron dye was onion skins. I tried onion skins in my natural dye projects, saving my saffron for rice. Onion skins dye clothes wonderfully and don't smell like onions as one would expect.
As an Allium addict I gotta try this.
Whenever I make chicken soup, I never peel my onions. I just wash them with the skin on, trim the roots, and cut them into quarters. The skin adds a lot of good color to the stock.
I reckon that almond milk made with wine is preferrable for this recipe, as long as it's white wine. The old saying goes "rice is born in water and dies in wine", "dies" being a dramatic yet apt substitution for "is cooked".
Sometime recipes have improved, like risotto with saffron.
Well, when you make your own historical food channel, you can spam your theories there.
Wine is a key part of making risotto so I could definitely see that working
@@NeoLithiumCat no its not 😂 you can substitute wine easily.
@@NeoLithiumCat have you ever actually cooked before?
"I couldn't get that shipped to the US. Maybe i'll find a way."
*2 weeks later*
"My PO Box is overflowing with bottles from the UK! Please! Stop! Customs is killing me!"
Ask and ye shall receive! : D
And then he proceeds to sell it
Max merely has to ask us English subscribers. The offer is there.
Nah, sadly alcohol can't be shipped to the US. The only way to bring it over is to do so manually. I remember it turning into a problem a few years ago for a donation drive that offered craft gin as a donation incentive - the best they could do in the end is send the custom bottles over without the contents.
@@Shyl1ght Meh, they can't check every shipment. And the only consequence is confiscation.
Max, this is likely based on the Persian recipes for saffron rice. You’re meant to steep the crushed threads in hot milk, which really intensifies the aroma, and toss it through the cooked rice. It won’t stain it a uniform yellow, but rather you’ll have some streaks of white and yellow, with that really intoxicating smell coming up. It’s a really common technique, which is why they probably didn’t mention specifics in this one case, if that makes sense? Like in, there’s this recipe for cumin seeds fried in oil tossed with rice that you see in damn near every Indian restaurant or banquet type meal, right? But people would look at you weird if you asked for a recipe, even today. They’d be all “oh, you cook the rice, fry cumin in oil, and then toss it through.” And then you make it at home, and it comes out really oily and the rice is mushy. Ask me how I know.
I came to the comments box to say exactly this! Saffron rice actually tastes way better when its not as homogenous. (Steep the saffron in very warm almond milk and sprinkle that mixture evenly over the rice as soon as it's just done cooking. The heat from the rice will evaporate most of the almond milk)
The same way as a special dish of Byriani is made ?
This makes sense
"Depending on who they were NOT at war with at any given time" has to be both the funniest and one of the most precise descriptions of the political relationships between European countries XD Thank you so much for making me laugh XD
Agree 😂
The funniest part was the rice of flesh intro, duh.
@@BobUikder-ig4uq Blucher! [startled horses]
*in historic times
Hi Max, as an Iranian, we use saffron quite often in our everyday meals and when we are cooking rice, we usually mix the brewed saffron at the end of the process with a small portion of the white steamed rice for a touch of flavor and the aroma. (just google and see 'Persian steamed saffron rice' images ); so I was thinking maybe the recipe was accurate after all. you know, If you are planning to have something else like meat or... alongside your rice dish, this all-saffron rice could be overpowering. (or maybe I am wrong and this recipe was an inaccurate mother of the Italian risotto allo zafferano.) Thank you for all these great contests, we really appreciate them.
My Valentines’ Day present from my husband this year was a tin of good saffron. He’s a keeper.
Saffron is the best but blimey if it wont stain everything golden like you are Midas on a trip.
I would stain a white counter I had all the time or yellow fimgers.
Only time ive used it it got fuckin everything yellow
This made me laugh more than I want to admit.
Golden stain
@asdrubale bisanzio Lol! I wish you weren't right. Early lesson - white top, saffron - nope. Upside my mum suggested finishing the top off so dyed the whole thing thereafter
I always assumed almond milk was a relatively new "hipster" food.
I never knew it was so old.
I would love an episode on the history of almond milk. It's good to learn the history of foods you thought were new but turned out to have a long history
I wrote a comment very similar to this before reading yours. Surprising, isn’t it??
Max talks about it a little bit more in his episode on cooking Deserts for Lent if you're interested in a bit of the history behind why it was so popular back then.
Well of course. The first thing man does when he discovers something new is to try and grab a teet. And if none can be found man will still try to milk it.
Fun fact, you can actually put almond milk (and other plant milks) through a process very similar to the process used to make cheese, though you need a few added bits. That's actually the process used to bake tofu, first step to tofu making is making soy milk, and all plant milks are made basically the same way. Only caveat for this is that it does have to be a relatively protein rich plant.
Legit SAME. I was suprised
Whenever I hear these old recipes say things like, “use good broth” I always just think, “dang it! I was gonna use my seven week old bad broth! How else am I going to get that rotten stuff out of my fridge?!?!?!”
Good usually means strong in old recipes. When they say use good broth they mean strong or fresh broth uncut with anything else. Something necessary to specify in a time when stock was a valuable ingredient typically made at home and made to last, so it was often cut. “Use good broth” is basically a signal that this is a special recipe that calls for fresh and good quality ingredients perhaps a bit more than what was commonly used back then
@@ltchugacast131 does good mean concentrated in this context? 😅
LOL, GOOD ONE!
So I have a few saffron plants/bulbs in my garden and some fun saffron facts:
-the bulbs were about 15-20 for a pack of 10 when I bought them; it's mostly the painstaking gathering process that drives up the price
-the bulbs are also super delicate and can easily be damaged
-they bloom during the fall instead of most crocuses, which bloom during late winter/early spring
They're actually super cute, but I recommend just growing them as a curiosity/ornamental instead of trying to grow your own saffron.
Of course Max watches Ms Crocomb of Audley End.
For this recipe you will need...Saffron and aa dash of shade.
That's because Mrs Crocombe is the one true queen of CZcams cooking shows.
I think I would have been offended if he didn't. 🤣
Made me so happy ☺️
Is it just me, or is she kinda hot in a weird way?
The saffron purity laws sound a little similar to the purity laws for beer, also set by Germany. They really don't like their meals being tampered with over there.
Did you talk to an Italian about their dishes lately?
You can start a war when not using the right ingredients and still be calling the dish by the original name. 😱
You can get into an shit storm with a German about their dishes. But we have so many variations of one dish that we can't agree many times where it originated.
@@gabrieleghut1344 Well then don't tell them I use angel hair pasta instead of spaghetti when I make "spaghetti".
@@gabrieleghut1344 I have found that Italians and Mexicans are the most snooty about their food
The german beer purity laws weren't so much about tampering as they were about driving out monk-breweries from Protestant markets, and making a beer that makes people too sleepy to sleep around.
@@DIEGhostfish and women brewers!
Clever touch, having the Saffron City gym's ace in the background. Another great video, Max!
I still have nightmares about that damned Alakazam.
@@GuyNamedSean I remember being frustrated by all the warp tiles lol
I love how you change the pokemon in the background to match the recipe's theme. The tie-in with Kadabra being one of Sabrina's pokemon in the Saffron City gym? Genius, I love it!
German Subscriber here: I GAGGED at your German impression. I love what you are doing Max. Please never stop
A december staple here in Sweden is the lussbulle/lussekatt, a delicious saffron bun made of a length of dough rolled into an 8, usually with a pair of raisin stuck in the centers of the loops.
The store bought ones are usually dry and dull, but homemade ones are to die for
We have a safron bun down here in Cornwall!
@@Aarenby ooh what's it like? Does it have any special name I can search?
@@felixhaggblom7562 they are just called saffron buns I would try "traditional Cornish saffron buns" :) they are just like small yellow spiced buns usually eaten with butter
We have lussekatter here in Norway too, though most people substitute the saffron with turmeric
@@ArchjSM That's common here too, at least with store bought buns. Turmeric's also common in cheap curry because it gives it the right color without all the expensive spices
Katerina Lemmel using the world’s most expensive spice as an energy drink...honestly, no worse than what a lot of the monks were doing around that time. At least she had a decent reason for needing it.
**prays with excess nun-style** 👉😎👉
The monks were almost certainly using turmeric.
It's like asking for pounds of cocaine in monetary sense. :-D
Saffron is such a dramatic looking plant, it looks like one of those magic flowers you see in movies all the time. I'm not surprised its so darn crazy expensive.
Tangled theory - Rapunzel's hair is golden and magic because.... Saffron.
Though truly the magic flower should have been Rapunzel or Devil's Ivy rather than a random golden flower because otherwise her name doesn't make sense.
Also Saffron is a lovely name for a Disney princess. I'll shut up now.
It's crazy expansive because you need 120.000 flowers to get a meager kg of the spice.
I love this because I think of crocus as that flower in your grandma's front yard. It used to be a pretty ubiquitous bulb in garden catalogs (the really dramatic ones are the striped kinds, though you can't eat those). I actually grow my own saffron--it's cheap to grow if you have a plot of dirt and you pick it yourself.
@@00muinamir Yeah it's like the most normal flower, I guess it depends on where you live how amazing it looks, haha. But of course no one is standing next to the plant to harvest the pollenthreads within a few hours of the flower opening. And making foods yellow is so much easier with a bit of yellow root/kurkuma in asian cooking. That stuff dyes everything, your fingers, clothes, kitchen countertops.
@@Iflie Kurkuma/tumeric has a very obvious flavour unless its in strong foods, and makes things yellow, not the orange-gold that saffron does. They're both nice though.
I was an 18 year old hippie in 1966, the year that Mellow Yellow was released. Given your young age I was happily surprised that you're aware of Donovan and his music. You have a fantastic singing and speaking voice, by the way.
"And he shall be whole" is almost as good as "serve it forth".
Wash it down with a Mello Yello! (Quite rightly!)
Whenever I hear “rightly” I think “end him rightly” and pommels.
Groan
"Let's get the king to wear our saffron cloth! It will be great product placement - everyone will want to buy from us!"
. . . Then the king forbids people from wearing saffron cloth so he can use it as his proprietary brand . . .
*Task failed successfully*
"But ze Germans are a no-nonsense people" -_-
I won't lie, that made me laugh orange juice out of my nose, and now my laptop keyboard is all gummed-up. I hope you're happy, Miller.
Orange juice mess is no laughing matter! 😂 I hope your keyboards recover
*cries in tech repair*
Orange juice out your nose? I did that once, just remembering it bri gs tears to my eyes.
@@birgittabirgersdatter8082 oof. I did it with dr. Pepper once and the burning was terrible 🙃 i don’t if orange juice would be better or worse, quite frankly. Ouch.
Even water coming through my nose burns and I can feel it trying to reach my eyes.
I don't even want to imagine something like orange juice going through it. I think I'm going to sneeze now.
The keyboard is really painful though, even more a notebook keyboard!
Don't believe their water resistance claims.
Love the cut scenes to “Frau Blucher” every time you say flesh. Great series, keep em’ coming!
Late to the video, but had to immediately look through the comments for this ^^
"10 dollars a gram for the really good stuff."
I don't know, that seems pretty average to me. Oh wait, you were talking about saffron?
That's the price of weed here, too. I laughed for a solid thirty seconds at your comment.
hah, I went to high school in Saffron Walden and spent 8 years working at Audley End. I was working the winter they restored the service wing to what it is today. I think I still have some of the old recipe cards in my archives if you ever want to take a look at them
Well, I can’t speak for Max, but I want a peek!
Do you know Mrs Crocombe??!! Spill the tea if so (PS I know she's an historical figure played by actors, I'm just a massive fan and from your post I now feel a tiny bit closer to cooking royalty)
@@fionaclaphamhoward5876 Yes! Her descendants came to visit and hand over her recipe book, they told us a bit about her. She was a pretty formidable woman and was working at Audley End in her 50's if I recall correctly.
As for the actors, one of our jobs was to patrol the service wing to answer general questions (read: give directions to the toilets) and we got to hang out with the actors a lot. When I was working there it was a different actress playing the role (Annie Grey, she recreates a lot of historical recipes and it's great to see the pics!) The current Mrs Crocombe actor played a scullery maid. They're lovely and very talented.
@@Heralupa thank you! I'm all the way over in New Zealand and not likely to get to Audley End any time soon but would dearly love to. Thanks for bringing it that wee bit closer in my imagination.
Considering how pretty and pricy saffron flowers are, I’m surprised more people don’t try to show off by having them at their weddings. I mean, that’s where white dresses came from, so why not?
You'd have to have your wedding in October. They only grow in the fall. I think they also wouldn't keep well as a cut flower, that's why they're not used in bouquets. Crocuses in themselves are actually really cheap, the labor of removing the stigmas is where the expense comes in.
@@00muinamir makes sense!
@@00muinamir And I think it's a particular kind of crocus, as well.
They would only live for a few hours after you pick them and they basically have no stems. They also don't look very much different than any other crocus. You can buy saffron crocus bulbs (not just any crocus!) in bulk for less than a dollar a piece
They are also tiny, not like flowers used in bouquets. Imagine a flower no bigger than your thumb with no stem. They're very fragile.
Hey Max I live in Colorado, there's a distillery in Lyons Colorado that also sells a saffron Gin.... You should get some of that one.... It's delicious haha
Which one? I too am in CO and would hop on this asap
@@Teladian2 I couldn't find one for Lyons, but Fort Collins has "NOCO saffron gin" that is available in a few places around the state. Total Wine in Denver apparently has it in stock.
Saffron GIN??? Why haven't I heard of this sooner
I'm so happy you included the Minoan fresco of a lady harvesting saffron. It's one of my favorite images.
“Ze Germans are no-nonsense people” - can confirm, the most accurate statement made. Also, I’ve put weirder things in my hair than the recipes mentioned… a lot of women have.
Fun fact: holistic medicine still uses saffron and St. John’s wort to treat “melancholy” (depression).
Speak for yourself only. I sure haven’t added weird shit to my hair.
@@anti-ethniccleansing465 So you never used embalming fluid? That'd be a first.
@@JonatasAdoM
Huh?
Fools.
Holistic medicine aka medicine not proven to work
A suggestion to everyone about almond milk: buy the stuff that has AT LEAST 10% of almonds in it. Under that percentage the consistency will be powdery and not smooth and silk as it should be (not to mention a weaker flavour). I've seen almond milks with 2% of nuts in it... that is horrible and I understand why some people don't like it. Probably because they never tried the good stuff.
I have been spoiled. When I was a kid and also a teen, my Mom took us to our home town in Italy. That is where I tasted THE BEST almond milk ever! People in Italy make their own, and it's pure heaven to taste.
Not this crap you buy at the store, with added thickeners.
@@zombiasnow1565 Sei siciliana? Perché a Roma non ho mai visto nessuno fare il proprio latte di mandorle... Devo dire che il Condorelli è il migliore che ho trovato tra quelli disponibili nei supermercati, con l'11% di mandorle. La maggiorparte della robaccia tipo Valsoia ti spara pipponi sul fatto che sono bio, senza zuccheri aggiunti e poi hanno il 2% di mandorle dentro. Una roba vergognosa.
But... The stuff at the store is less expensive and some of us have allergies to cater to
@@nono-fb8tr And you shouldn't feel bad about that! Not everyone has the resources to get the good stuff.
Horchata, while kinda not rly almond milk, is also really good
Something tells me that just like how having colorful clothing was a status symbol long ago, so too was having colorful food.
Saffron was also used as a cloth dye!
Coloured fabric was extremely common, every housewife knew which plants to extract colours in a wide range of colours. What was expensive and therefore a status symbol were dark colours as they needed multiple dying processes to achieve a saturated shade....black, dark blues, dark crimson, etc...
Color hadn't been invented yet except for food of course
You all might be interested to know that Australia has an emerging saffron industry. There are about 80 small holder growers, around the cooler parts of the SE of the nation, and Tasmania, who harvest, on average, a total of about 10kg of saffron per season. The Australian saffron season is March - April.
Thanks for your comment. I just checked for an online Australian supplier and found Saffron Market. Their prices are quite reasonable.
I really hope his little "grr" 🐻 becomes a throwback go-to like hard tack 😀
Clack Clack!
I love the different Pokémon in the background! Every time a new episode comes out, Me and my daughter look to see which Pokémon you’re using this time.
I KNEW when you used "endore" that there'd be a bedight forthcoming.
wow! "endore" and "bedight" in a single episode!. my vocabulary is enriched!
Although, I think that "bedight" is the past tense, or the past perfect tense of "bedeck". Both words should be brought back into modern English!
My vocabulary is embiggened
I'd be lying if I said that Pokémon wasn't the first thing that came to mind everytime I hear the word Saffron
A final boss in Ranma 1/2 was the first thing that came to mind every time I hear the word saffron.
Pokemon!? What? You do not know of the Atomic Shrimp? He's all mad about saffron!
@@LazyLifeIFreak there's a city named Saffron in Pokemon first gen game. I don't know atomic shrimp, on the other hand.
@@SetuwoKecik Now there's something wholesome and soul warming content you're missing out on.
@@SetuwoKecik Check him out, his videos are on a lot of varied content, the saffron reference specifically comes from one of his scambaiting videos where he got spam emails trying to convince him to be some intermediary for the miracle herb that is saffron
Me listening to medieval cosmetic and medicinal recipes: Sounds just like the suggested posts I see on Facebook. Fake News is older than I thought.... :D
The English county of Cornwall has a history of growing, harvesting and using Saffron. Indeed on Easter and Whitsun (6 week after Easter) it was common for people to make and eat Saffron/ Revel buns
Saffron basmati is the only rice I make. My kids and grandkids love it, they always request it when they visit. Soooo yummy. I cook the rice in ghee and water, no salt, just a few threads of saffron. It's delicious.
"Rice... of Flesh!"
Frau Blücher! *Winny!*
God, I love the little hidden jokes in this.
All right my dear elevate me...
What here? now?
Yes raise a platform
OHHHHH the PLATFORM!! YA YA OK.
Care for a roll in ze hay?
Some Ovaltine?
Yes! He vas my--my BOYFRIEND !
I'm starting to forget my favorite lines from that movie and between this show and these comments I think I should probably watch it again.
Call it...a hunch. 🤣
Best movie ever!!
I really wonder who the first person was like, 'hum, I wonder if I pick this little red thing out of this flower, if it will taste good'
I wonder that about SO many ingredients!
Possibly kids playing with the flowers turned their fingers orange and found their fingers also had an interesting smell. Which might also have been the origin of asking someone if they want to smell your finger. ;)
The next uses were probably as a tea and dye for cloth.
Probably the same guy who saw the cinnamon tree and decided to try out the bark.
@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 LOL! I dunno. It's easier to imagine somebody nibbling on a piece of bark than crawling around munching flowers. : D
Another great episode!
I had never really considered the fact that the chefs aren't typically the ones writing down the recipes until you put it that way!
Okay, I love this series and Max is really funny and his presentation is amazingly informative. However any reference to Young Frankenstein makes anything so much more superior. Well done sir. Truly worth you weight in saffron.
Saffron gin is used for my preferred cocktail: saffron gin, lavander syrup, lime and spices!
I badly need to know more. Can you share a recipe?
@@fedra76it Unfortunately I've none :S I drank it years ago in Arona (NO), at Cafè de la Sera!
That sounds truly amazing.
@@fedra76it Given the ingredients, i would go for : 60ml/2oz saffron gin ; 20 ml/¾oz lime juice ; 20ml/¾oz lavender syrup (a 1:1 ratio syrup, i would add fresh lavender in the hot syrup to steep) and a pinch or salt would go well in there. I think i would try without adding any other Spices but putting a cardamom pod in the shaker before shaking might be a good Idea ! I Will definitly try this if i can get my hand on this saffron gin !
dupont you're hired!!!
I have had saffron and a TINY mortar/pestle set for a year now and wanted to make something. This is perfect because I am also non-dairy...but I might do it in a solar cooker
Try hot almond milk with a few saffron threads. Yummy.
And report back, please.
Why would you name yourself after Margaret Trudeau?
I was just in Saffron Walden last week. Audley End has more taxidermy than I've ever seen!
Also happy to send you some Saffron gin if you like.
Max!! I think it needs to be said that I appreciate you pronouncing the foreign names/words authentically is so appreciated! It’s just really refreshing to hear as most people don’t bother with correct pronunciation as it isn’t always easy for them, but it’s very respectful from your side.
Btw, as a German I think your german pronunciation is really good!
Also, thanks again for this awesome new episode, your work is really appreciated! 💪✨
In Sweden we almost only using saffron in baking like cookies, cakes and buns. Like saffronbuns is super important here and especially around December due to celebrating Lucia. I love saffron and can’t think of a better way to flavoring sweet treats
I just made saffron buns today! Yum
Almonds have a high fat content, and while you lose some of that in the milk, it's much richer than water. If you want a stronger almond flavor, reduce the saffron slightly and add slivered almonds.
Ooooh that would add some lovely texture, I'm guessing
"He should work for my insurance company" Never have I experienced an emotion that made me grin so wide and yet feel so dead inside lmao
**checks saffron price while drinking coffee**
**spit take**
hmmm, best I can do is some orange crayon shavings and call it splurging.
Use turmeric and tell everyone it's saffron. They can't afford it either so they don't know what it's supposed to taste like. 😉
@@sarahrosen4985 hey, that's right!
It only looks expensive on a per gram basis but you use so little that on a per use basis it's not expensive at all compared to lots of other herbs / spices. Using saffron in your average rice dish usually only ends up increasing the ingredient cost by 50 cents or so.
@@spikosz but it comes in packages, and the only packages here are expensive AF.
If you want to see crazy, look at tomato seeds.
I thought my teacher in trade school was joking when he said rare seeds are more expensive than gold.
But he wasn't.
So perfect! I’m already excited for my saffron crocus bulbs to be delivered in September! I’ve got marshmallow plants starting this year also. I’m gonna party like it’s 1799.
Tasting History with Ms Crocombe at Audley End- The crossover I've been dreaming of!
In my family and in Italy it’s known as Risotto Milanese and often have it with osso bucco a kind of meat stew.
Risotto alla Milanese is a typical italian dish with saffron and rice (and others things too ;) )
other things like flesh 😈
I love Risotto alla Milanese. In Switzerland we have a dish called Emmentaler Lammvoressen, a lamb stew with saffron.
@@marmotarchivist Maybe I've read about that in a book, "Die schwarze Spinne"!
@@fariesz6786 As a German speaker and etymology enthusiast I would like to add that in German, “Fleisch” means both meat and flesh. Fleisch/flesh has the common Germanic root “fleiska”, while meat derives from “mete” meaning food/nourishment. And the German word for pulp is “Fruchtfleisch” literally “fruit-flesh”. So even the fruits are scary :D
@@ironchain87 You have a really good memory. I read the book in school a long time ago, but I quickly looked it up on Projekt Gutenberg because I was curious and it is mentioned two times. The second time it reads: “Voressen an Safranbrühe […], Voressen von Hirn, von Schaffleisch, saure Leber. So I think I prefer the modern version.
I've picked saffron, I can attest, it's so much work. It's worth just coughing up the cash for good saffron
Edited for better punctuation
I can imagine they growing your own might be worthwhile if you’re a morning person and you’re only growing a fairly small amount anyway, but I certainly wouldn’t want to try to grow it commercially.
Oh that recognition to Ms. Crocombe and the Audley End is an unexpected addition to this story. Just snapped to me that Audley End is in Saffron Walden 😀
I discovered this channel when it was still pretty new, and I gotta say, really happy for you that this has taken off so much. You really found and filled this niche up so well. Tastefully, you could say (aay)
Would love a follow-up series where you just do the comprehensive history of different popular historical ingredients like saffron or other spices.
I pity the poor folks at the post office having to deal with customs and regulations for all the saffron gin bottles that are going to be shipped to Max’s PO Box. 😂
I feel like half of us have been googling the brand he mentioned
You're joking, but I do think several bottles will reach him soon :D
As the channel grows I’m sure they have a hot key short form for that
The thing about saffron is that it's the best herb ever. Its flavor is exquisite, pleasing, and unique -- I've often described the flavor as reminiscent of petrichor. Nevermind the coloring, enjoy the glorious flavor!
Haven't had saffron in a while but I personally am not a fan. I swear it tastes like wet cardboard.
I'm a big fan too! I love when I'm playing around with it and find a new use for it that's real nice. Even top ramen noodles are better with a little sprinkle at the end lol. Cheers!
I almost think it has a scent and taste of tea actually
This video made me want to grow saffron for myself. If i'm moved out into the apartments I wanna live in, i'm 100% gonna grow my own saffron. I really want to grow as many of my own spice, herbs, fruits, and vegetables to cook with as I can. I just love the idea or doing that.
And Greece! Also Greece. Not only do we use it in our cuisine, Saffron is still been cultivated in the northern part of Greece, named Kozani
That's where it's from
It's the mellow-est of yellows, and also somethimg I've never got the chance to use in cooking. Today is a day of learning!
I've been watching Tasting History's episodes for the past 8 flip floping hours and can't get enough!! Tks for your service, Max
"$10 a gram for the really good stuff" 🚬😎
@Lenia Carter you're getting scammed
As a Filipino we all love rice so this dish is so interesting... And it seems good partner with a lechon or adobo
I've started listening to this as I complete chores around the house. It's the perfect soundtrack and helps me decide what I want to eat when I'm finished.
Donovan is incredible! So glad someone else is trying to spread the word about him😁😁😁
Love Donavan too!
Sunshine came softly through my window today...
@@lindafreeman7030 hail Atlantis! Way down below the ocean...
saffron -> saffron city -> sabrina -> kadabra
he has a kadabra plushie
If you think "Rice of Flesh" sounds scary, I lived in a town in Japan where a family restaurant messed up their sign and was advertising "Flesh Pasta."
What was it supposed to read?
@@ragnkja fresh pasta I’m guessing 😂
Yeah, some of those Anglicized Oriental names can get embarrassing. I saw a Chinese perfume named "Mai Pee" and a Japanese candy called "Jerry Beans." There are YT vids full of such linguistic faux pas.
@@KetchupwithMaxandJose Yeah, it was meant to be "Fresh." Usually pretty rare for places to write in English on their signs, especially as big as this one did. It's a lot easier for them to write their foreign language phrases in katakana.
@@KetchupwithMaxandJose
The dangers of writing a language that distinguishes between sounds yours does not.
Absolutely love the Young Frankenstein, Frau Blucher reference and the commitment to the bit... That really made my day.
I researched medieval recipes for a banquet I did for history class many years ago.
It long predated the internet before you had many sources.
I remember recipes that said to add “wine til enough”, “cook until done” and “ take the gut of a porpoise and stuff”.
The one that I laughed at the most said “ take 2 young hares, bash them together and mangle well”.
We figured it just meant to chop and mix well.
I’m just glad Max hasn’t gotten violent while cooking.
As a total Donovan fan, I thought the "Mellow Yellow" was the coolest song ever written. As far as saffron goes, I had done a lot of research of medieval foods and discovered the nobility loved it because the way it turned everything yellow, (being symbolic of gold) it indicated great wealth. Great episode - lots of awesome history and a recipe I'm going to use tonight. Thank you!
Historic cookbook: here's how you make it.
Max Miller: okay, but that's actually pretty terrible, so here's what you actually meant.
Me: yep, Max is right.
Historic Cookbook: ...
There were no copyright laws back then. I think they intentionally wrote in errors that a trained cook would have been able to work out but a commoner wouldn't be able to.
@@wesleyhoward5599 That's an interesting theory. It does match with practices in other fields of publication, so I won't say you're wrong.
I've heard (but don't know for sure) that if you grind the saffron with a little bit of salt, it helps to grind it into a powder and increase the extraction of flavor into what you're cooking.
Interesting. Sounds like a good idea; probably worth a try. TU for sharing that.
Bear grease is actually quite good for the hair. Good for dandruff, too. Cree people still use it today.
Caitlin of Ask A Mortician did a mukbang video about funeral food from around the world; if you did a collaboration with her, you could pick one of the recipes that she tasted, make the dish from a historic recipe, and talk with her about the history of the dish within its original culture. That would be really fun to see!
Omg. I just bought saffron. Have no idea what to do with it. Perfect timing 👌
The “Young Frankenstein” reference is perfect!
I don't know why. My understanding is that the horses were responding to Frau Bluecher's (not sure if I have spelling correct - e after the u means the u has an umlaut over it - I don't know how to do that here) name each time because Bluecher means 'glue' in German, hence the horses reacting to her name. Nothing to do with flesh....
Blücher means glue? Like in Kleber....? Das fällt mir schwer zu glauben.
Young Frankenstein should be a required staple of the Frankenstein universe alon side the original book and the classic film
Saffron is very aromatic, has beautiful color, and is HARD to harvest. I think of it as the spice of luxury, not to mention a pound of it would cost you 5 Large (which if I'm not mistaken far exceeds a pound of truffles.)
Fortunately you don’t need a lot of saffron, since it’s so much less dense than, say, truffles.
@@ragnkja You are wrong! I NEED ALL THE SAFFRON!
Yeh, but to be fair: You need a lot less of it compared to truffels. Like, sure, it's really expensive just going by weight and density, but you barely need any of the stuff for whatever you are doing.
I was listening to tasting history videos when I was cooking the other night, and I remember Max mentioning that there was a link in the description for saffron that wouldn’t break the bank, but I forget which video it was...
It wasn’t this one (idk if he used the same link or not, as the one that is linked here doesn’t seem that great of a price). There was only one other video that came up when I plugged in “tasting history saffron,“ but the link for saffron in that video is broken, and I don’t think that was the video that I’m thinking of anyways.
I love how you always put in so much effort into your pronunciation!
I was feeling kinda cruddy today. Clearly I haven’t been sitting around with rancid saffron butter in my navel enough.
I hear that.
Read this as it got to that point in the video lmaooo
This video, as well as an experience with saffron honey, finally pushed me to buy a small tin of saffron. It's absolutely wonderful, and I just wanted to say thank you for the entertaining and educational content!
Saffron risotto (alla Milanese) is eaten daily in Lombardy, where it is served as a main course (primo) or as a side with a lovely alpine stew 🥰
I really can't wait for you to hit 1 mil subs, the level of gentle charisma and intrigue you're able to bring across is just like a warm bubblebath. Never stop what you're best at Max, we're all here along for the ride.
Saffron Walden is still a lovely old market town. Well worth a visit, especially on market day.
The RICE-OF-FLESH (insert horror montage) sounds and looks like it’d be really good. Is the rice’s flavor at all similar to a paella?
Also the name of my food centric metal band.
I love paella
@@busimagen Frau Blucher !!!!!
@@busimagen thank you! I was wondering where it was from!
@@busimagen RIP Cloris Leachman. She was great.
Wow, Donovan reference right out of the gate. Well played!
"And if you don't know who Donovan is... don't look him up!" is the line of the episode. I love this guy.
I love Jose’s fitting Pokémon choices.
You make me so happy. Thank you for existing and being you. Your videos help me calm down when I'm anxious. Between you and Townsend's, I can always find comfort and learning. Keep being wonderful.