The Minoans depicted it saffron in the frescoes of their palace in 1500-1600 BC, showing its use as a therapeutic drug. In late Greek myths, there are references to sea voyages to Cilicia. There, adventurers hoped to obtain what they believed to be the most valuable saffron in the world. Ο Greek organic red saffron is distinguished by its excellent quality, which places it among the top saffron quality in the world.

Krokos Kozani , the gold of the Greek land as it is called, is one of the most popular and valuable spices of ancient civilizations, due to its composition, color, medicinal and aphrodisiac properties. Cleopatra used it in her cosmetics, the ancient Phoenicians in their offerings to the goddess Astarte. Homer mentions it in his Epics, while we also have references in the Old Testament.

The inhabitants of the Kozani region plant the Crocus in summer and in autumn they collect by hand the precious spots of the beautiful flower and carefully dry them in the traditional way. It takes about 150,000 flowers to produce 1,000 grams of red saffron. Krokos Kozani or saffron or saffron or zafora as it is commonly called, belongs to the best quality saffron in the world.

The Kozani Crocus Producers Cooperative obtained an ISO 9001 quality assurance certificate in 1997 and developed a certified organic saffron crop .
In addition, the name “KROKOS KOZANIS” is registered as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).

Health benefits of Greek organic saffron yolk

This rare high quality product is known for its properties and many recent studies have shown that it has antithrombotic properties, can control blood pressure, improve the mind, cognitive function and memory, enhance your mood (depression), its components act as anti-aging and much more.

Known since the time of Ancient Egypt, yolk was highly sought after by the ancient Greeks and Romans, as it is believed to have both medicinal and aphrodisiac properties. In fact, it is mentioned by Asclepius and Hippocrates in their works. It is still used today, in medicine but mainly in cooking and confectionery. In addition, it plays the role of pigment in products such as pasta and butter. It is easy to find recipes using the saffron ingredient mentioned as saffron in cookbooks. Try them and you will not regret it. You will be excited!

Recommendation:

The Greek organic Kozani Crocus powder is in fact the dried spots of the saffron flower, ” Crocus sativus Linneaus”.

Each flower contains only three spots. These yarns must be collected from each flower by hand and more than 75,000 of these flowers are needed to produce only 500 grams of dried saffron, making it the most valuable spice in the world .

However, due to its pigmentation and strong taste, it can be used sparingly in much smaller quantities. Saffron is used both for its intense orange-yellow color and for its intense taste and aroma .

The Greek organic red saffron, “Crocus” contains crocin , the source of its strong pigment, picrocrocin , which offers the distinctive aroma and taste and essential oils that are responsible for its healing properties.

The locals are so dedicated to its production process that one of the producers’ villages, namely Krokos, took its name from this spice.
It blooms every year, in autumn from about mid-October to mid-November. This is also the harvest period that leads to a demanding processing phase through which the desired product will be obtained. The annual production, depending on the weather conditions, ranges from 6 to 12 tons of pure red saffron each year. Much of this production is certified organic. Everything is (PDO) no other region of Greece can produce Greek red yolk of Kozani.

It is also of extremely high quality: The Greek Red Saffron, as provided by the Kozani Cooperative, has a guaranteed color tone of 230 .

How to use it:

It is a fantastic ingredient for risotto, spore pasta, paella, pork stew with lemon, stew with red sauce and is also added to halva, honey and drinks . In these recipes, it combines the health benefits with the special special flavors!

A small amount of saffron adds a great taste, color and aroma to all your dishes such as pasta, rice, soups. poultry, meat and fish. Red saffron powder is ideal for baking and pastry recipes!