Warm, musky, with the distinctive aroma of cut hay and a slightly metallic tang, saffron’s flavour comes in part from compounds unique among the spices. With correct handling, just a pinch will transform a meal.
Picrocrocin gives saffron its lingering, slightly bitter taste, and safranal produces much of its distinctive aroma. Both picrococin and safranal are unique to saffron, but their qualities help to determine pairings, as does the small amounts of pinene and the tenacious eucalyptus-like compound cineole.
