Saffron has been called red gold, a miracle spice, zafran in Urdu or Spanish, and kesar in Hindi. The spice is well known across the globe for its gorgeous hue and sought after for its notable medicinal properties. Saffron is the most expensive spice, due to the extremely complicated harvesting process, so it’s important that you are getting the best possible saffron for your money. We’ve put together some tips on where to buy saffron, and why it’s important to know where your saffron is coming from. 

Where to Buy Saffron?

There’s No Such Thing As Cheap Saffron

First of all, saffron is always expensive and that’s the bottom line. If you find a bulk pack of saffron for only a few dollars or hear someone say they have a “good deal”, turn and run. It takes almost 77,000 saffron flowers to form a pound of saffron, through a very labor intensive process. Any saffron sold significantly below market value should immediately raise red flags. Less reputable merchants may try to save a few dollars by adding fillers to their saffron, such as safflower, turmeric, or even bark and chemicals. 

What Does True Saffron Look Like?

Prevent yourself from buying fraudulent saffron by knowing what to look for. True saffron will be bright reddish orange with uniform color and length. Saffron will also have a small trumpet-like point at the end. When placed in warm water, saffron should turn the water a yellowish color, but leave the true coloring of the stigma intact.

Taste and Smell

Aside from looking at it, there are a few other giveaways that you’re getting the real thing. Raw saffron placed directly on the tongue tends to have a bitter taste. If your saffron has no taste or a sweet taste, it is probably not the real thing. 

One of the most remarkable characteristics of saffron is the smell. While the smell of saffron has been described as many things, including salty or sweet, having a floral smell, or one like vanilla and honey, saffron will always have a notable smell. 

Know Who You’re Buying From

The best way to know you’re getting high quality is to buy from a reputable dealer. Reliable and expert saffron sellers will ensure you are getting the best quality product available. Ideally, your saffron merchant should know where their saffron comes from and the conditions under which it is harvested. This will guarantee that you are getting true saffron while also protecting the livelihood of saffron farmers.  Lastly, a reputable company will help protect your purchase by taking care that saffron is packed in such a way to preserve its freshness. 

Why Buy Saffron from Zaffrus?

Top Quality Product

Zaffrus brings top-quality natural saffron, handpicked by spirited, tireless farmers in Spain and Iran, to your kitchens through our high standard suppliers. Our suppliers follow fair trade policies and work directly with the farmers to ensure they are treated fairly. We carry saffron from suppliers who are internationally certified with the highest industry certificates. We choose our materials and partners based on high standards and have a similar goal of creating a sustainable lifestyle for all. 

We're About More Than Saffron

But Zaffrus is more than just a place to buy premium saffron and saffron-infused products. In addition to our commitment to offer top quality products, our mission is to educate people about the health benefits of saffron, and promote a healthy lifestyle. We believe in bringing value to peoples’ lives by promoting healthy food and promoting the benefits of eating real food while avoiding ultra-processed food. 

A Commitment to the Community

Additionally, Zaffrus is committed to supporting the economy and community. We strive to build a better community here by supporting our local businesses, as well as teaching our community about different cultures. We support the men and women who work tirelessly to provide our supplies, from saffron pickers to beekeepers, both in this country and abroad. 

Zaffrus believes that the hunger and poverty problem in the US and all around the world is a solvable problem, and if we work together, and each of us do our own share, we can solve it.

When you’re trying to figure out where to buy saffron, it’s important to know where your saffron comes from. Make sure you’re getting the best quality saffron by knowing what to look for, and purchase your saffron from a reputable dealer. Zaffrus is happy to provide you with all of your saffron and saffron products, and you can be confident shopping with us, knowing that our products are fair trade and supportive of the economy, the Earth, and the people who live here.