Crocus sativus, the full name of which is Crocus sativus, is a perennial peanut club of Crocus iris. It can be used as a spice and Chinese herbal medicine, which has been recorded in the compendium of materia medica of China for a long time and listed as a precious herbal medicine. The saffron we usually see is one or three red columns, which is actually the stigma of saffron. The complete saffron consists of oblate and spherical pale blue, reddish purple stems and green sheath leaves, and the most valuable one is the one that grows in yellow-orange red flowers with long stamens. There are also yellow flowers, but the number is small, the taste is slightly bitter, and the smell is slightly irritating.
Speaking of saffron, everyone thinks that it originated from Tibet, but it is not. Iran is the country where saffron first appeared, and it is also the most suitable area for its growth. At the same time, it is considered that the best saffron in the world comes from here. It is a drought-tolerant plant, suitable for growing in arid areas where the lowest temperature in winter is not lower than MINUS 20 degrees and the highest temperature in summer is not higher than above zero 30 degrees. Each bead of saffron can produce a small flower with two flowers. A small flower has only two or three styles. When picking, the whole flower needs to be picked together. When picking flowers, it is necessary to cancel the filaments in time. It is required that the three filaments are not connected and have no yellow roots.
In the market where saffron is so scarce, some merchants are inevitably eager to make a move and find the Tibetan culture's flat safflower. Although they are only one word apart, the price is very different. Safflower is a compositae plant with low price, and its output in China is very large, but its style is very similar to that of saffron, so many merchants confuse people and bully customers who don't know how to take safflower slices. The price is good, and some unscrupulous businessmen will sell it at high prices.
As for the phenomenon of mixed selling of saffron and safflower in the market, you can avoid into the pit by being careful. The color of saffron is red, and the water soaked in it is all red. When the saffron is put into the water, it will slowly faint into golden yellow, and the iridescence will be red, which is also the easiest way to distinguish saffron.