Curiosity

Perfumes, passion and banquets.

Virgil, Pliny the Elder, Homer, refer to it in their works; traces of it can be found in Egyptian papyri from the 2nd century BC. In Anatolia, some millennia BC it was used to color brides' veils and priests burned it as incense during ceremonies. In ancient Troy, women used it to perfume their homes.

In Jerusalem, it was used to prepare the sacred perfumes of religious ceremonies. It seems that in ancient Athens, the most sought-after perfumes were based on rose, cinnamon, myrrh and… saffron.

A Greek legend tells that Zeus covered his bed with saffron before sleeping with his women to increase sensations and his sexual power.

At Roman banquets, saffron-flavored wines and golden sauces were served to accompany meat or fish dishes.