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- Title:
- Edible Dye
- Description:
- Safflower(Carthamus tinctorius) was called CASUBHA by natives and COCHUMBA by Spaniards like Antonio Morga, whose food observations are featured in this series. The botanical’s birthplace is still unknown although Iran and India are candidates. In 12th century Egypt it was already used as a textile dye. In India it is called koosumbha. No one is sure how safflower got to Manila where is was also used to color textile. Safflower flowers were cultivated by Filipinos to sell as a substitute for costly saffron that did not grow locally. Saffron turned fish escabeche and rice dishes a lovely golden hue. Morga is silent about safflower’s culinary uses. He only writes that from 1595 to 1603 the food coloring was grown. There is written evidence that in 1800s’ Philippines its leaves were cooked and eaten as a salad. Sometimes saffron is diluted with safflower. Today it is used in arroz caldo among other foods. It is said that Spaniards brought safflower to their American colonies.
- Subjects:
- Safflower Saffron
- Exhibition:
- Antonio Morga 30
- Source:
- Original book source: Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885, Gera, Germany. Permission granted to use under GFDL by Kurt Stueber. Source: www.biolib.de
- Type:
- Image;Still Image
- Format:
- image/jpeg
Source
- Preferred Citation:
- "Edible Dye", Philippine Food History, Felice P. Sta. Maria
- Reference Link:
- felicepstamaria.net/items/coll065.html