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Welcome to our Fresh Saffron Market!Dear Friend, Saffron is the most precious and most expensive spice in the world. Therefore, having any saffron is better than having no saffron. However, if you are looking for a great quality saffron at a reasonable price, then you are in the right place. We offer you the following:
Saffron Prices:From Oct. 2006 to Oct. 2007 saffron prices have had a huge and unjustifiable surge globally. Here are the percentages of increase in price of three brands of saffron we carry.
Kashmiri saffron: 200% increase If you have not purchased saffron in the past two years, you will be shocked to see the new prices. Also we expect that adulterated saffron will surface on the market this year for the obvious reason. Why Buy from Us?The saffron's level of freshness is critical to its quality. While saffron's shelf life surpasses
the shelf life of any other spice, it’s advisable to use it within the first two years.
The majority of saffron packages sold today do not provide you with any
information about the date of the crop year. We believe that you as the consumer and
the final judge of the product have the right to know the age of the saffron
that you are buying. If this information matters to you, then you should consider buying
saffron from us. All of our saffron packages have the
crop year date printed on the package. This dating process warranties that you are
getting the latest crop.
Saffron types:We sell three types of the world's most highly regarded saffron: Powdered Saffron:We
do not sell pre-made powdered saffron, but as a service we can prepare it
for you from our fresh saffron. Minimum order for powdered saffron is one
ounce. See a photo of our powdered saffron jar.
Ordering procedure:Our ordering procedure is simple fast and highly secure. Your payment will be processed by PayPal. You do not need to be a PayPal member in order to purchase from us. You can pay with any major credit card. For those of you who do not trust on-line transactions, we have other payment methods, please click here. |
General Information about saffron |
What is saffron?Saffron is skillfully dried stigmas of
crocus sativus flowers, a small
perennial plant about a foot tall. Each flower has three female parts (stigmas),
two male parts (stamen). What are the uses of saffron?Saffron has been used as spice and coloring agent for many centuries and has numerous medicinal properties. It is by far one of the oldest herbs ever used for medicinal purposes in the history of mankind and up to this date it is being used in some regions of the world such as India. It has been written that around 600 B.C. Phoenicians were looking for a mysterious plant in Kashmir, one whose flower had silky stigmas with a pungent aroma. The stigmas were believed to cure many illnesses and also had the capability of making strong dye. Europeans are believed to be among the first to use saffron as a spice in their cooking. Saffron is also used in many other industries such as the tobacco industry, alcohol industry, dairy industry, cosmetic industry for perfumes and facial creams, and the dye industry. Cleopatra used it to give her skin a golden color and romantic aroma. Saffron is also used in religious ceremonies. Tibetan Monks use saffron for prayer and blessing. Calligraphers have used saffron to write religious books such as the Koran. What is fresh saffron?We define fresh saffron as a saffron that is less than one year old. Some call it "Baby Saffron". The best quality saffron comes from the current crop year. That is why all of our products are marked on each package with the crop year. What is pure saffron?Saffron is known to be the world's most expensive spice. Throughout history, dishonest dealers would adulterate their saffron by adding similar materials for added weight or by dyeing the lower quality saffron strands red, which is the sign of good quality saffron. Pure saffron contains only the stigma of the Crocus flower with nothing else added. Pure saffron strands composed of red and yellow portions of the stigma are less potent than the pure saffron composed entirely of the red portions of the stigma. On the other hand saffron strands composed of red and yellow portions of the stigma shows that it is not dyed, since it is not cost efficient to dye saffron strands partially red. The most important rule in buying saffron is to find a source that you can trust. The saffron we sell on this site is procured by highly trusted suppliers that are well known world wide for their quality for many decades. What are the signs of good quality saffron?Good quality saffron is a saffron which has a decent coloring capabilities and has a pleasant aroma. Saffron's coloring capabilities come from the red portion of the saffron threads and not the yellow portions that is left uncut in lower grade saffron. Therefore a good quality saffron is a saffron that is all red. This criteria is necessary but not sufficient. For example, an all red saffron that is 10 years old is not a good quality saffron. The next criteria is aroma. Old saffron looses its pungent aroma and sometimes it has no aroma at all. So, a good quality saffron is saffron that is completely red and has a nice aroma. Please note that this does not mean that any pure saffron strands with some yellow in it is not decent saffron. It is just not as potent as saffron that is completely red. In fact, some people prefer saffron with yellow in it and to them it is not saffron if the stigma does not have any yellow. What region of the world has the best saffron?Ask this question from a chef in Spain, he will tell you that Spanish saffron is the best in the world. Ask the same question from an Iranian chef, he will assure you that Iranian saffron is the best. An Indian chef will tell you that Kashmiri saffron is the best. Who is telling the truth? The fact is that they are all telling you what they believe. If you grew up with one type of saffron, most likely that type of saffron is your preferred brand. In our opinion, all pure saffron is good regardless of its origin. We believe, you as a saffron user, will have to try it for yourself to see which region's saffron fits your taste the best. However, if we were to measure saffron by its potency, then saffron from certain regions of the world is more potent than other types of saffron found throughout the world. For example, Kashmir is blessed with perfect condition for saffron cultivation and it produces the most potent saffron in the world. It is also the most expensive saffron in the world. On this site we offer you three of the most widely used saffron types throughout the globe; Kashmiri, Iranian and Spanish.
What is the best way to store saffron?Saffron should be stored in an airtight container and kept away from moisture and bright light. Bright light such as sunlight will bleach the color of saffron. That is why when the crocus flower blooms, the flower has to be picked at dawn (Sahar) before the sun shines on it. Also do not expose your saffron to the moisture. Do not open your jar of saffron near a boiling pot of water in the kitchen. How long can saffron be stored?Saffron can be stored for several years and will retain most of its potency if stored properly. (See above) Where can I get more information about saffron?The information provided above is basic and is intended for casual users. For more helpful and interesting information on saffron, visit any of the following web sites:
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Each
stigma is threadlike in appearance and is red or dark red in color towards the
top and yellow towards the bottom of the stigma, where it is attached to the
flower. Saffron has a bitter flavor and a strong, sharp, penetrating scent. The flavor, aroma, and coloring
capability come from the red part of the stigma. The yellow part has no value
as a spice. We counted enough unbroken threads of our Kashmiri saffron until its
weight reached one gram. There were 570 threads of Kashmiri saffron in one
gram. Since
three threads represent one flower, It would take on average about 190 flowers to produce one gram of saffron
or about 5400 flowers to produce one ounce of saffron.
Keep in mind that Kashmiri saffron threads are larger than non-Kashmiri
saffron threads.