What is the difference between safflower and saffron? The differences between the two explained clearly at once
Saffron is another name for Crocus sativus; these two names refer to the same tonic, which can also be called fanhonghua, and both are plants of the genus Crocus in the family Iridaceae. But safflower and it are not the same substance; safflower is a plant of the family Asteraceae originating from Xinjiang, and its efficacy is far inferior to it, and the price difference is also huge; good saffron costs more than 100 yuan per gram.
Safflower is a tubular flower without an ovary; the corolla is reddish-yellow or red, the tube is slender, the apex is five-cleft, and the lobes are narrowly linear; the stamens and anthers aggregate into a tube shape and are yellow-white; the stigma is cylindrical, the apex is slightly forked, the texture is soft, the odor is slight and fragrant, the taste is slightly bitter, and when the flower is soaked in water, the water is dyed golden yellow.
Saffron is linear and dark red, wider and slightly flatter at the upper part, with an irregularly toothed tip edge and a short slit on the inner side; the stigma is trumpet-shaped with a short cleft, light in body, soft and loose in texture, without oily luster, brittle and easily broken after drying, with a distinctive odor, slightly irritating, and a slightly bitter taste; when placed in water, orange-yellow color can be seen falling in a straight line and gradually spreading, and the water is dyed yellow.
In addition, saffron is also widely used in the food, spice, dye and other industries. In modern times, various countries also use it as a food seasoning, and it is praised as the “queen of seasonings” and the “treasure of the kitchen”. Now saffron is also used in makeup and beauty, skin care and the like.