Written by K. Hill

Spanish cuisine has evolved over hundreds of years, it’s roots are firmly planted in Spain's turbulent history.

After the Romans conquered  Spain, they quickly introduced olive oil and garlic to the Iberian Peninsula as well as cooking methods like grilling, roasting and baking all of which are still very popular in Spanish cooking today.  The most important contribution, however, was the vast irrigation systems that they built which enabled them to successfully grow vegetables, fruit and grains.

At a later date the Visigoths introduced livestock farming and brought spinach, radishes and some beans to the area. However the Moorish conquest in 711, which lasted for 7 centuries, revolutionised Spanish cuisine completely, bringing almonds, rice, sugar, aubergines, citrus fruits and spices, all of which became fundamental to the Spanish way of cooking.

Saffron is believed to have been used as far back as the 7th century B.C. and Spain is second place only to Iran as a world class producer of this distinctive yellow spice.  Saffron is hand-harvested from the violet crocus flowers, the dried stigma of the flower gives it it’s trademark colour and it takes half a million flowers to make a kilo of saffron, hence the rarity and price of this special spice. The Romans also used saffron as a medicine to cure cuts, coughs, stomach upsets and skin complaints. The Roman colonists brought it with them when they settled in Andalucia and cultivated it successfully during their occupation until the fall of The Roman Empire.

Saffron dye has been found to have been used in cave paintings of prehistoric animals in Iran and depicted by the Minoans in their ancient paintings as a medicinal drug for well-being.It is also said to have been used by Cleopatra in her bath.

When the Roman rule ended so did the cultivation of saffron until the Moorish invasion when it was re-introduced to Spain and exported to France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany.  England also grew and cultivated saffron for a while but suffered when other spices, like chocolate and coffee, were introduced into Europe. Today saffron is mainly used in blends as a colourant, especially in paella, that most traditional of Spanish dishes and also as a flavouring in rice and pastry dishes.