Saffron

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/saffron

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Crocus sativus
2. What is the primary active compounds?Crocin (color), safranal (aroma), picrocrocin (flavor)
3. What is saffron and why is it so expensive?Saffron is a spice made from the tiny flower Crocus sativus. It costs more than gold because you need 150,000 to 200,000 flowers to make just one kilogram.
4. How is saffron grown and harvested?Farmers grow saffron from corms and pick the flowers in autumn. The red threads, called stigmas, are hand‑plucked at dawn and dried carefully to keep its flavor and color.

Corm: A short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ.
Carotenoids: A class of pigments found in plants and algae, responsible for vibrant colors like yellow and orange.
Adulteration: The process of making a substance impure or weaker by adding something of inferior quality.