What Is Saffron?

If you grew up in the ‘90s like I did, I’m willing to bet that you associate the word “saffron” with “Saffron City,” one of the locations in the original Pokemon GameBoy game. But apart from battling the gym trainer Sabrina and hanging out at Silph Co to get some Pokemon merch, you might not know that much about saffron. Today, we’re putting aside Pokemon (sad, I know) to talk about the spice. So, what is saffron? What does it taste like? Why is it so expensive? Let’s spice up our day with some answers about this unique spice. 

What is saffron?

Saffron is a spice that comes from a specific type of a flower—a crocus, known scientifically as Crocus sativus, though it is commonly known as “the Saffron Crocus.” Saffron is used for its scent in perfumes and for its flavor in a number of dishes. Saffron is also notorious for being extremely expensive. 

Now, here’s something a tad confusing. Saffron the spice, which comes from the stigma and styles of the plant, is a rich red color. Meanwhile, the bloom of the flower itself is purple, and the color “saffron” is yellow (or orange, if we’re talking about deep saffron). 

Where does saffron come from?

As we’ve discussed, the spice saffron comes from the stigma and styles of the saffron crocus. But where are these saffron crocuses? It turns out, saffron is almost entirely produced in Iran. As much as 88% of all the world’s saffron is produced there. However, it is also grown in a few other areas, such as Greece, Spain, Morocco, and the UAE.

What does saffron taste like?

Saffron has a distinctive flavor that has been described as honey-like while also being slightly metallic. There are also overtones of freshly mown grass or sweet hay. Intrigued? You’ll have to catch a whiff or a nibble of the spice itself to truly understand its flavor profile. 

Why is saffron so expensive?

One of saffron’s claims to fame is its expense. It has long been the most expensive spice per weight in the world. Why is it so pricey? As with most expensive things, the reason for the cost has to do with supply and demand. Saffron is highly prized for its scent and taste, but it’s quite laborious to harvest saffron. Each plant provides only a very small amount of saffron threads—it can take over 70,000 blossoms to produce a single pound of saffron. Not only that, it must be harvested by hand. As you can see, this leads to the price of saffron being quite high. 

What is saffron used for?

Saffron has a multitude of different uses—and they’re not all culinary. Some people believe that saffron can help cure depression and forestall the effects of Alzheimer’s. However, more research is needed to back up these claims.

Saffron has also been used as a dye for clothing and as a scent for perfumes. 

In terms of cooking, saffron is a key ingredient for a number of dishes including bouillabaisse, risotto, and paella. But its uses don’t end there. You can add saffron to a wide variety of recipes to help add some flavor and color. Food & Wine has a list of some delicious looking recipes that use saffron. They have everything from a seafood stew to a saffron-flavored ice cream.