safflower petals

whole petals

4.8

Based on 10 reviews

portion

coming soon

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pinch jar

coming soon

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refill

0.4 oz

large refill

2 oz

$10

PACKAGING GUIDE

Safflower is a relatively mild spice. It gives a yellow-orange color to foods, similar in hue to what turmeric yields when used in cooking. Safflower's mild profile features a rich sweet aroma that doesn't dissipate when cooked and a delicate floral flavor with earthy notes.

Safflower petals are used in rice dishes where they supplies flavor and good color. The spice is sometimes used as a substitute for the much more expensive saffron; though its flavor isn't as as intense or distinctive. Saffron is also much more potent and a great quantity of safflower is required to achieve similar flavor levels as very small quantities of saffron. It is, however, a suitable substitute when color is the primary objective.

Safflower is frequently used where it can be infused in a liquid and is popular in some cultures in this way as it gives color to soups, sauces, and teas.

QUICK INFO

safflower petals , whole petals

INGREDIENTS

Safflower petals

TASTING NOTES

Mild in flavor; requires a lot of spice for flavoring to be imparted to foodstuffs.

AROMA

A rich sweet aroma with tobacco notes.

CHARACTERISTICS

Safflower petals are wispy, needle-like and are brilliant red (another difference with the more subtle color of saffron spice's stamens).

PAIRINGS

Pair with cinnamon to enhance the spice's sweetness; pair with chiles to complement floral notes with fruity heat.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Saffron (more expensive!)

USAGE

Best known for its usage in the production of safflower oil, but also used as a coloring and flavoring for rice/paella dishes.

PLANT PART

petals

PROCESSING / FORM

whole petals

BOTANICAL NAME

Carthamus tinctorius

BOTANICAL NAME

Carthamus tinctorius

AKA

safflower
false saffron
dyer's saffron
fake saffron
bastard saffron
saffron thistle

Carthamus tinctorius, or safflower, is a thistle-like annual plant and is part of the sunflower family (Asteraceae). Though historically safflower petals were used in making dyes for clothes and for foods (cheese and sausages), currently the crop is cultivated primarily for its seeds from which safflower oil is extracted. Used in cooking and prized for its high flash point, safflower oil is mostly odorless and colorless.

The petals are similarly mild in flavor and aroma. However the color they yield make them an exciting culinary addition to rices and paellas. In the food industry, safflower is used to color margarine.

CONFUSIONS

-flower vs -fron
Safflower and saffron are almost always mentioned in association with each other. In addition to similar names, when dried they have a similar appearance, yield a similar color, and safflower is often used as a substitute for the higher-priced saffron. Confusion between these two spices has been exploited in the past, unscrupulous Medieval vendors would either add safflower petals to dilute their saffron and raise their profits or replace the saffron outright with safflower. Penalty for this was execution.

USAGE HINT

Should you acquire some true saffron, know that a pinch (1/8 teaspoon) is equal to 2 teaspoons of safflower.

QUICK FACT

Safflower's ability to impart a yellow-orange to food is utilized in margarines where it is used as a natural food colorant.

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