Saffron, a Pennsylvania Treasure

Producer: Monica Rogozinski

Shirks Saffron is a delicacy grown in the Pennsylvania Dutch area by Justin Hulshizer. Growing up helping his grandmother care for her cherished saffron bulbs, has instilled in Justin a sense of duty and heritage that propels him to endure the arduous job of growing the delicate saffron flowers, and waiting a whole year for them to bloom in October, when their valuable threads are available to be hand picked. It is a labor of love. Justin invites us for a wonderful home cooked meal, showcasing his saffron on a Chicken Corn Noodle Soup, accompanied by a seasonal apple crisp, a taste of Fall.

When Exec. Chef Eli Kulp was looking for locally grown saffron to be part of an all local ingredients menu he was creating for Fork Restaurant, he was introduced to Justin. Since then, Fork has been utilizing Shirks Saffron on some of their dishes. Chef John Patterson demonstrates how he translates some of the traditional saffron recipes into a contemporary dish such as Saffron Ravioli on Rabbit Broth and The Saffron Revenge.