FAQ

WHERE DOES SAFFRON COME FROM?

 Saffron has been farmed for more than 3000 years. The wild ancestor of saffron was Crocus. Farmers developed new cultivars by choosing only those flowers with unusually long stigmas. 

Specialists believe saffron was first documented in a 7th century BC amongst the Persian Assyrian communities. Since then, researchers have uncovered over 3000 years of medicinal saffron use, with local people treating over 90 ailments with saffron-based medicines and infusions.

WHY IS SAFFRON SO EXPENSIVE?

There are several reasons why saffron is expensive, but the main reason is the amount of work it takes to produce even small quantities. . To pluck 1kg of saffron from the saffron flowers, the threads or stigmas of around 170,000 - 250,000 flowers must be hand-picked & dehydrated, an amazingly labor-intensive job.
Furthermore, this process needs to happen before the sunrise in order to insure maximum potency and freshness—a fact which most large-scale producers ignore due to the additional costs that this creates.

 

HOW MUCH SAFFRON SHOULD I USE?

Growing up in a Persian family we used saffron in almost everything, but in reality, you will not need more than half a gram or 0.017637 of an ounce in your stews or rice dishes to feed 4-6 people. So despite the high overall cost of saffron, a little bit goes a long way: cost per portion could be less than a dollar. This will depend, of course, on the quality/ character of the saffron and your purchasing source: the better the saffron, the less you’ll need to color and flavor your dishes

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAFFRON THREADS AND POWDER?

Concerning the essence of saffron, its aroma and color, there is no difference between saffron powder and stigma/ threads.
But for some dodgy companies, it's easier to add other material to the powder to increase the weight. Also saffron loses its aroma and colour faster in its powdered form, which is why we recommend you always buy your saffron as full threads and turn it into powder just before use.

 

IS YOUR PACKAGING RECYCLABLE/ REUSABLE?

Packaging and storage of saffron must be done scientifically as the flower is very sensitive to light and heat. So we have used containers specially designed to keep your saffron fresh and aromatic until you are ready to use it. These containers are reusable and environmentally friendly.

BESIDES COOKING WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO WITH SAFFRON?

Saffron has been used in ancient Persian medicine for a wide range of illnesses, including depression, because of its ability to lift the mood and to stimulate the secretion of mood-elevating hormones in the brain. Saffron is also used as an antioxidant and for patients who have Multiple Sclerosis (MS)‎.
It is documented and scientifically proven that saffron alleviates symptoms of PMS as well as Alzheimer’s. Currently, saffron is being tested in a wide range of scientific studies to determine its efficacy in treating cancer and other illnesses. The other main use of saffron is in the arts and as a robust natural dye in textile manufacturing.