Fragrance in Shakespeare's Plays - Saffron

In All's Well That Ends Well, the proud and mercenary Bertram, born into nobility, is commanded by the King to marry Helena, a commoner. However, he refuses to abandon his pleasure-seeking lifestyle and sets impossible tasks for Helena while attempting to seduce the innocent and charming Diana. Interestingly, the elderly courtier Lafeu, unable to bear it any longer, describes the despicable Bertram with the word "saffron":

"No, no, no, your son was misled with a snipt-taffeta fellow there, whose villainous saffron would have made all the unbaked and doughy youth of a nation in his colour." -- Lafeu | All's Well That Ends Well

Beyond its use as a seasoning, saffron in ancient times served as a dye for various garments and carpets, with origins traceable to ancient Egypt. Cleopatra would bathe in saffron baths to enhance her allure; the Greeks used it to treat insomnia and hangovers, even as an "aphrodisiac"; in the Middle Ages, women applied saffron to add a rosy blush to their cheeks. The villainous image of saffron in the quote stems from an anecdote from Shakespeare's era: a cunning woman introduced the technique of dyeing fabric yellow with saffron to England, sparking a trend among the upper classes of dyeing court ruffs yellow. However, when this woman was imprisoned for murder, the fashion quickly fell out of favor, and saffron became forever associated with vice.

Saffron is the only red spice derived from the flower itself. Because it blooms at dawn and the extracted spice may lose its fragrance at high temperatures, it is renowned as the world's most expensive spice. In contemporary times, saffron is commonly found in the cosmetics industry, particularly in perfumes and body lotions. Saffron has a bitter and slightly spicy flavor when tasted alone,, but when used as a seasoning, it actually adds sweetness to food—most famously in the renowned Spanish paella.

Beyond its sweet floral notes and subtle musk, saffron's fragrance carries a hint of pungency and earthy undertones. Some describe it as reminiscent of the golden honey used to decorate and paint desserts, with sweetness mingled with grassy bitterness and hints of dried hay. Crocin, like a plant's subtle highlight, gives the rust-colored saffron threads golden tips, and is also found in gardenia; when you approach saffron, most of the fragrance you detect should be safranal, with its subtle earthiness and sharp, intense character. Picrocrocin is the source of saffron's flavor value, producing a slightly bitter aftertaste and the therapeutic effects it is known for. Through the interplay of these three compounds, saffron releases its uniquely irreplaceable aroma.

References: http://www.sirus-saffron.com/ten-myths-truths.html https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267417256_Chemical_Composition_of_Saffron_Crocus_sativus_L_from_Four_Countries

#shakespeare #saffron #scents #allswellthatendswell