| |
|
Choose the best answer from the options
below. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| A |
of |
|
F |
cure |
| B |
such as |
|
G |
up to |
| C |
flavor |
|
H |
properties |
| D |
costly |
|
I |
worth |
| E |
dig up |
|
J |
virtually |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lord of the Spices
Saffron is truly a multicultural spice.
There
is a spice that links an
Egyptian Pharaoh, Indian
curries, and
Buddhist monks. It takes an entire
football
field to make only a small amount. And this
spice is more ___1___ to produce,
harvest,
and buy than any other. It is the reddish-yellow spice
called saffron.
Saffron is the dried stigma of
crocus
flowers. To make the spice, each flower must be stripped
___2___ its three tiny stigmas—each is only two
centimeters long—by hand. It takes ___3___75,000 flowers
to produce one pound of saffron. What's more, to grow
crocus flowers, farmers must carefully ___4___ the flower
bulbs, break them up, and
replant them. Because of this
labor-intensive process,
saffron costs from US$500 to US$5,000 a pound. It is so
valuable that ___5___ every
Eurasian country with the right climate has a
long saffron-growing tradition, and it is now grown
worldwide.
So what is so special about saffron that makes it
___6___ the
extraordinary effort and
expense? First, it has a
very unique ___7___. Even a tiny
pinch
gives food a slightly metallic taste,
and saffron is used in famous dishes ___8___ Spanish
paella and Indian curries. These dishes also
show the second reason for saffron's popularity: its
luminous yellow color. As a
dye,
saffron is traditionally used to make
the distinctive yellow
robes worn by Buddhist monks. Over the
years, it has also been valued as a ___9___ for
plague, an
anti-depressant,
and an aphrodisiac; legendary ruler
Cleopatra is said to have used it in her baths.
In short, saffron's
one-of-a-kind ___10___ have
made it an important part of all the cultures it has
touched. Its taste, color, and the difficult production
process mean that saffron is likely to remain the most
valued spice for a long time to come.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sponsored Links
|
| |
|
|
Answers : 1D
2A 3G 4E 5J 6I 7C 8B 9F 10H |
|
Lord of the Spices
Saffron is truly a multicultural spice.
There
is a spice that links an
Egyptian Pharaoh, Indian
curries, and
Buddhist monks. It takes an entire
football
field to make only a small amount. And this
spice is more costly to produce,
harvest,
and buy than any other. It is the reddish-yellow spice
called saffron.
Saffron is the dried stigma of
crocus
flowers. To make the spice, each flower must be
stripped of its three tiny stigmas —
each is only two centimeters long—by hand. It takes
up to75,000
flowers to produce one pound of saffron. What's
more, to grow crocus flowers, farmers must carefully
dig up the flower
bulbs, break them up, and
replant them. Because of this
labor-intensive process,
saffron costs from US$500 to US$5,000 a pound. It is so
valuable that
virtually every
Eurasian country with the right climate has a
long saffron-growing tradition, and it is now grown
worldwide.
So what is so special about saffron that
makes it worth the
extraordinary
effort and expense? First, it has a very unique
flavor. Even a tiny
pinch
gives food a slightly metallic
taste, and saffron is used in famous dishes
such as Spanish
paella and Indian curries. These dishes also
show the second reason for saffron's popularity: its
luminous yellow color. As a
dye,
saffron is traditionally used to make
the distinctive yellow
robes worn by
Buddhist monks. Over the years, it has also been valued
as a cure for
plague, an
anti-depressant,
and an aphrodisiac; legendary ruler
Cleopatra is said to have used it in her baths.
In short, saffron's one-of-a-kind
properties have
made it an important part of all the cultures it has
touched. Its taste, color, and the difficult production
process mean that saffron is likely to remain the most
valued spice for a long time to come. |
|
|
