[Sca-cooks] Curious about a spice.

[Lilinah]

rattkitten at bellsouth.net wrote:
>  Came across this in the Latin section of our Walmart and bought it 
>just cause...
>  They are round little balls and the label says Whole Saffron.  What 
>is it?  Any help?
>
>  Nichola

Well, checking on the web - and noting some other posts to this list 
with info about "azafran de bolita" - this isn't saffron or even 
related - being Ditaxis heterantha Euphorbiaceae - but it apparently 
does lent a warm yellow color to food. I haven't found any recipes 
yet, but since it is considered an oil seed as well as a food 
coloring agent, you may need to crush it and cook it in oil to 
extract the color, then strain the oil and use it in your food, as is 
done with annatto/achiote and was done with alkanet in period.
-- 
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita

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