Persian Saffron: the complete guide
Saffron is the dried stigma of the Crocus sativus flower. Each flower yields only three red stigmas, hand-picked and dried — which is why it is the world’s most expensive spice. Persian saffron is grown mainly in Iran and is valued for its high colouring strength and intense aroma.
What is saffron?
Saffron is the dried red stigma of the Crocus sativus flower. Each flower yields only three threads, all picked by hand — which is why it is the world’s most precious spice.
Real saffron is whole red threads with a deep aroma and a flavour that is honeyed, earthy and slightly bitter. It colours food a warm golden — never garish orange.
Why is Persian saffron the best?
North-east Iran has the ideal climate and centuries of know-how, and produces the majority of the world’s saffron. Its threads are prized for high colouring power and intense aroma.
Saffy is the official distributor of the Bahraman brand — one of Iran’s most established saffron houses — for the Czech and Slovak markets.
How saffron is made
Saffron is harvested for just a few weeks each autumn. The purple crocus flowers are picked at dawn, and the three red stigmas are separated by hand the same day and gently dried.
It takes roughly 150 flowers for a single gram of dried saffron — the reason behind its value.
Grades of saffron: Negin, Sargol, Pushal
Saffron is graded by which part of the stigma is used and how it is cut. The redder and more complete the threads, the higher the quality.
| Grade | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Negin | Long, whole, all-red threads | Tea, drinks & gifts |
| Sargol | Red tips only, cut | Cooking — strong colour & flavour |
| Pushal | Red stigma with a little yellow style | Everyday cooking, great value |
ISO 3632 — the quality standard
ISO 3632 is the international saffron standard. It measures three things in a lab: crocin (colour), picrocrocin (taste) and safranal (aroma). Higher numbers mean stronger saffron; Category I is the top tier.
How to tell real saffron from fake
The simplest home test is the water test: drop a few threads in warm water. Real saffron releases its colour slowly, turning the water golden over several minutes, while the threads stay red. Fakes (often dyed safflower or corn silk) bleed colour instantly and turn the water reddish-orange.
Real saffron vs. “saffron flavouring/colour”. Real saffron is whole dried threads — nothing else. “Saffron aroma”, “flavouring” or yellow colourant only imitate it. Check the label (aroma, colour, E-numbers, alcohol) and remember: real colours slowly and golden, fakes colour instantly and garish.
Freshness & harvest year
Saffron is not like wine — colour and aroma fade over 2–3 years, so the fresher the harvest, the stronger the saffron.
Unlike many sellers, we state the harvest year on every saffron — our current stock is from the 2025 harvest. Store it airtight, cool, dry and dark.
How much saffron to use
A little goes a long way. As a rule of thumb use a small pinch (about 15–20 threads) for a dish serving four, or 3–5 threads per cup of tea.
For the best colour and flavour, grind the threads and bloom them first (see below).
How to brew saffron (bloom it first)
- Lightly grind the threads in a mortar (or between your fingers).
- Add warm — not boiling — water and stir.
- Let it bloom 10–20 minutes until deep golden.
- Add the liquid and threads to your dish, tea or latte.
Temperature & saffron
Why 60 °C? Saffron has three parts — colour (crocin), taste (picrocrocin) and aroma (safranal) — and heat treats each differently. Aroma is the most fragile: safranal escapes quickly from hot water, which is why real saffron is steeped, not boiled.
| Water temperature | Colour (crocin) | Taste (picrocrocin) | Aroma (safranal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~60 °C | Peaks — most colour is released around 60 °C | Releases well | Best preserved |
| 60–70 °C | Still excellent | Good | Preserved |
| 71–80 °C | Slightly lower in water | Stable | Starts to fade in water |
| 81–100 °C (boiling) | Drops noticeably | Most heat-stable | Lost quickly — evaporates |
| above 100 °C | Degrades fast | — | Gone |
Best for tea and infusions: steep at ~60 °C for about 20 minutes, covered. If it’s pale, steep longer, not hotter. When cooking in fat (risotto, rice), add saffron near the end — the fat holds the aroma.
Sources
The table is based on peer-reviewed studies, not our impressions:
1. Distribution of Main Bioactive Compounds from Saffron as a Function of Infusion Temperature and Time — Molecules 2024, 29(13):3080 (MDPI). Crocin release into water peaked at 60 °C; above it, both colour and aroma decline.
2. Optimizing the aqueous extraction of crocin from saffron and the kinetics of its degradation during heat treatment — Carpathian Journal of Food Science and Technology 16(2). Crocin is unstable under high dry heat, so add saffron near the end of cooking.
How to store saffron
Keep saffron in an airtight, opaque container, away from light, heat and moisture — stored that way it holds its colour and aroma for 2–3 years. Not in the fridge. For the full method see our guide, How to store saffron and how long it lasts.
Saffron in the kitchen
Saffron defines dishes across Persian, Mediterranean and Indian cooking — from rice and risotto to seafood and desserts.
| Cuisine | Classic dishes |
|---|---|
| Persian | Saffron rice (tahdig), zereshk polo |
| Spanish & Italian | Paella, risotto alla Milanese |
| French | Bouillabaisse |
| Sweet | Saffron buns, ice cream, syrups |
Saffron & health — our position
We offer saffron as a premium food and culinary spice, not a medicine, and we make no health claims.
Honest, no promises. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication, please consult your doctor about consumption.
Why is saffron so expensive?
Because it is entirely hand-made. Around 150 flowers give a single gram, each picked and hand-separated within hours during a short autumn harvest. The price reflects the labour, not a markup.
Where to buy real Persian saffron
You can buy real Bahraman Persian saffron directly from us — we are its exclusive distributor for Central Europe and import it directly.
Which saffron should you buy first?
If you love tea and drinks, start with Negin — long, whole threads you can judge for authenticity at a glance. If you mainly cook, choose Sargol. A small pack is plenty for a first taste of the difference.
| You want to… | We recommend | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tea & drinks | Negin | Long, whole threads and a delicate flavour; authenticity is easy to see. |
| Cook | Sargol | All-red tips, no styles — full colour and flavour at a friendlier price. |
| Lemonade | Homa (ground) + nabát | Ground saffron dissolves in moments; nabát rounds off the taste. |
| Give as a gift | A gift set | Premium saffron, beautifully boxed. |
| Just try it | The smallest Negin / Sargol pack | A first taste without a big outlay — you’ll notice the difference. |
As the exclusive Bahraman distributor, we hold a lab analysis for every batch. You buy with certainty, not blind.
Negin 304 Kč/g · Sargol from 284 Kč/g · nabát 175 Kč
Or: Homa — ground · nabát · visit the shop
Not sure how many threads to use? See our Saffron in Cooking guide.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if saffron is real?
Which saffron should I buy first?
How much saffron should I use?
Does saffron expire?
What harvest year is Saffy’s saffron?
Does saffron have health benefits?
Saffron quality & quick-reference data
| Category | Crocin — colour (E1% 440) | Picrocrocin — bitterness (E1% 257) | Safranal — aroma (E1% 330) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I (highest) | ≥ 190 | ≥ 70 | 20–50 |
| II | 150–189 | 55–69 | 20–50 |
| III | 100–149 | 40–54 | 20–50 |
Higher crocin = stronger colouring power per gram. Bahraman Negin and Sargol test in Category I. Source: ISO 3632-1:2011.
| Use | Amount | Water & temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saffron infusion / tea | Pinch, ~15–20 threads | 150 ml, 60 °C (never boiling) | Steep 15–20 min |
| Bloom for cooking (rice, paella, risotto) | Pinch, lightly ground | 1 tbsp warm water | 10–20 min, then add with the liquid |
Saffron is steeped at 60 °C for 15–20 minutes — boiling does not increase crocin yield.
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Stigmas per flower | 3 (hand-picked) |
| Flowers for 1 g dried saffron | ~150 |
| Harvest season | Late October – November |
| Main origin | Iran (~90% of world production) |
| Best kept (airtight, dark, cool) | ~2 years |
Widely published industry/FAO reference figures for Crocus sativus.
