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How to Buy High-Quality Saffron

What You Need to Know About the World's Most Pricy Spice

Aug 24, 2008 T. Regula

Saffron is coming to a store near you - and you'll be paying about $500 a pound for it. How can you tell if that particular saffron is worth it?

Saffron is a spice that has been widely used since ancient times. It was one of the trade items of the ancient Minoans, who may have been the first to cultivate it. Saffron provides an interesting vaguely bitter taste to foods, and also produces a vivid yellow coloring. It's especially valued as an addition to rice dishes such as paella and risotto.

Saffron's Renaissance

Once rarely available in the average grocery store, saffron has become more popular in the United States. Though it is grown more widely than ever, it's still expensive. Since demand is growing, some producers of saffron may be tempted to increase their profits by adulterating the saffron in various ways. Here are some tips on getting the most out of your saffron budget.

Saffron threads should feel wiry to the touch. If they feel moist, a small quantity of oil may have been added to increase their weight.
Saffron should be entirely red. Top quality saffron will not have many white or yellow pieces. These are the "styles" or lower portion of the saffron thread, and quality producers will have picked off these pieces, which don't contribute to either the flavor or the color.
Good saffron will have an intriguing cool, earthy scent when you open the container for the first time.
Safflower is not saffron. Safflower will give some color to food, but will not add the flavor that saffron does, and it is a much less expensive substance. Safflower threads are much shorter, and rub apart into a fluffy substance. Saffron rubs into powder - unless it has been adulterated with oil as noted above, in which case it can sometimes even be rolled into a ball.
The true saffron stigma broadens into a tiny "tongue" at the end of the thin red thread. Safflower lacks this tongue.
Don't buy saffron powder. The powdered form degrades more quickly than the whole threads. You can always crumble a tongue or two of saffron if you need it in a powdered form.
You may see "yellow saffron" in some shops. This is not considered true saffron though it comes from the same plant. It provides a mild amount of color and flavor, but nothing compared to the true saffron stigma.
Some labels simply lie. If it doesn't look right to you, or if it is too good a deal to be true, it probably is not real saffron.
Spanish saffron is considered to be the best, but part of this is pure familiarity and good marketing. There are many good saffrons coming from India and the Middle East. Some excellent saffron is produced in Greece, where the Minoans first cultivated it.

The copyright of the article How to Buy High-Quality Saffron in Herbs & Spices is owned by T. Regula. Permission to republish How to Buy High-Quality Saffron in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.