Imereti saffron is called marigold grown in the historical region of Georgia with the same name, marigolds - flowers that are often used to decorate the garden. Plants have many useful properties, which are described in detail below.

Plant properties

Imereti saffron is grown in ecologically clean areas - it is a lowland near the banks of the river, surrounded by mountains and forests with centuries-old trees. Plants absorbed a maximum of useful substances, enriching their composition with a large number of elements.

Did you know? In the language of flowers, tagetes (the botanical name of marigolds) means courage and courage, being a symbol of the king of the animal world - the lion.

The rich composition of marigolds attracts the attention of traditional and traditional medicine.

• Flowers have a lot of qualities useful to the human body:
• Stimulate the work of biliary organs.
• Soothe, normalize sleep, eliminate anxiety.
• Contribute to the regeneration of liver cells.
• Improve blood circulation, normalize blood coagulation processes.
• Regulate glucose and cholesterol levels.
• Improve digestion, stimulate metabolism.
• Restore the hormonal background.
• They have astringent, diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties.
• They help to remove sputum in diseases of the lungs and bronchi.
• Eliminate oral infections.
• They help cleanse the body of toxins and the breakdown product of drugs.

Did you know? The English name of the plant is “marigold”, and in this regard, there was a tradition of planting flowers at the foot of the statue of the Virgin Mary. Besides, its inflorescences of bright yellow symbolized gold coins.

What are the differences between Imereti and Iranian saffron

Marigolds from Imereti are called saffron for their similarity in aroma and coloring properties, which the plant has due to lutein. Iranian or real saffron belongs to the Crocus family, the Iris family, while the Tagetes are representatives of Asters plants.

The main difference between the two cultures is that crocus is grown for stigmas, only they are used as seasoning. It is the laboriousness of growing that makes real saffron the most expensive spice in the world. Marigolds are also used as a spice, but the whole flower basket is recycled, which reduces the cost of seasoning.

Harvesting raw materials

Tagetes needs to be able to properly harvest.

Basic rules for the collection of raw materials:

1. Harvesting time from July to September, depending on the climate of the region.
2. The buds should be tight, can be fully opened, but not wilted.
3. Cut the plant along with the stem and foliage at a level of 15 cm from the soil surface.
4. It is possible to dry both in a suspended state - a bunch, and on a horizontal surface.

Important! Raw materials must be dried under a canopy. Direct sunlight kills the beneficial properties of flowers.

After drying, the inflorescence must be disassembled into seeds and parts used in cooking or treatment. For storage, the product is placed in cloth or paper bags, in glass containers with a lid, cleaned in a dry place.

Use dried raw materials as needed.

Scope of tagetes

In folk medicine, there are many recipes for preparing drugs from the petals or foliage of a plant.

• Prepare drugs that help with various painful conditions:
• weakened immunity;
• impaired metabolism;
• skin rash from insect bites;
• cough;
• hives;
• eye mucosa disease;
• diseases of the liver, pancreas;
• otitis;
• acne and acne.

Annual flowers are popular in horticulture as a bright decoration of flower beds. The monoplantation of differently colored species looks spectacular: orange and yellow. You can make a flowerbed in the form of a two-color spiral, butterfly, sun and more.

The plant goes well with other flowers:

• Snapdragon;
• allisum;
• petunia;
• Sylvia;
• chrysanthemum;
• chamomile.

Important! It is undesirable to plant marigolds in the vicinity of a rose: they oppress the garden queen.

Popular among gardeners is the use of tagetes as a repellent. Flowers have the ability to deter garden pests, so you can often see bright bushes around vegetables, root crops or melons.

Dishes of Georgian cuisine are famous for the abundance of different spices, among which Imereti saffron in the leading positions. Due to seasoning, a rich floral-fruity aroma and attractive warm-orange color appear in baked goods.

To prepare culinary masterpieces from poultry and meat without this seasoning in Georgia is simply nonsense.

Tagetes is added almost everywhere:

• to salads;
• first and second courses;
• cold and hot snacks;
• sauces and gravy;
• pastes;
• marinades;
• rolls.

The peppermint bitterness of the petals is used in the preparation of alcoholic beverages and tea. The dish, decorated with a whole basket or petals, looks original.

Imereti saffron has nothing in common (in the botanical sense) with a real crocus plant, but it is not inferior in useful and flavoring properties. These flowers are available, they can be grown and harvested independently, using as a therapeutic agent and as a fragrant culinary spice.