Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c5.s2.t9.1

v1.c5.s2.t9.1

Saffron is a kind of perennial flower of crocus of the freesia genus as well as a common flavouring. It originated in South Asia and is known as *kuïkuma* in Sanskrit, *jáphrán* in Bengali, *zafran* or *kesar* in Hindi, *safran* in Marathi and saffron in English, and its scientific name is *Crocus sativus*. Saffron’s Sanskrit name has several transliteration forms in China, such as Guanjiumo (官久摩), Tujumo (茶矩磨), Tujumo (茶矩么) etc. Its transliteration in Volume 7 of the *Asokavadana* translated by Tripitaka Samghavarman was 官久摩 but in the annotated translation of the text it was written as 翻郁金香 (*fanyu jin xiang*). The flavour was introduced from the central part of India to Kashmir (Jibin). *Yujinxiang* (saffron), is not what is often seen today as the herbaceous tulip plant under the lily family, but it refers to saffron (*Crocus Sativus*). The *Siddhasara-Nighantu* pointed out that “asra is also called *kuïkuma*”. Xuan Ying’s *Sound and Meaning of*