%0 Journal Article
%T Saffron and Crocus as medicinal raw materials and spices in Polish Renaissance herbaria
%A Trojanowska, Anna
%J Modern medicine
%V 2024
%R 10.4467/12311960MN.24.012.20005
%N Volume 30 (2024) Supplement I
%P 57-77
%K saffron, Crocus sativus L., Polish Renaissance herbariums, Old Polish cuisine, medicinal raw materials
%@ 1231-1960
%D 2024
%U https://ejournals.eu/en/journal/medycyna-nowozytna/article/szafran-i-crocus-jako-surowiec-leczniczy-i-przyprawa-w-polskich-renesansowych-zielnikach
%X Since ancient times, saffron – Crocus sativus L. has been used in Europe as a medicinal raw material, spice and dye. It was called crocus and saffron and various medicinal properties were attributed to it. It was believed, for example, that it revitalized the brain and heart, stimulated the senses, and protected against poisons. Saffron was a component of many medicines, including popular anti-plague remedies, such as theriac, and was also a characteristic spice of Old Polish cuisine. Saffron was mentioned in Polish Renaissance herbariums and in old cookbooks. The aim of the work is to indicate what properties of saffron were mentioned by Polish herbarium authors as important for medicinal use, and what properties were important for its use as a spice.