Description
Saffron – the world’s most precious, aromatic, and celebrated spice – holds a place of honor in fine cuisine, luxury cosmetics, and wellness traditions.
Iran, regarded by most historical accounts as the birthplace of saffron, today produces over 99% of the world’s supply and is the leading exporter. China is the largest global importer of this Persian treasure.
The exceptional aroma and flavor of saffron are due to Safranal, and its radiant, golden hue comes from Crocin. Authenticity is safeguarded using advanced techniques such as mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to detect adulteration.
Key Components of Saffron
| Component | Function / Description |
|---|---|
| Crocin | Gives saffron its golden color |
| Picrocrocin | Creates saffron’s subtle bitterness |
| Safranal | Provides saffron’s unique aroma |
| Lycopene | Carotenoid found in tomatoes |
| Beta-carotenes | Carotenoids also found in carrots |
Botanical Profile
The saffron plant (Crocus sativus) is a small, perennial herb growing 10–30 cm tall. From its bulb emerge slender green leaves and a flowering stem bearing 1–3 blossoms.
Flowers have six violet petals (sometimes pink or deep purple) with three yellow stamens and a pistil ending in a striking three-branched red-orange stigma.
The commercial spice consists of the dried stigmas and style tip – aromatic, delicately bitter, and prized worldwide.
Sargol Saffron
Sargol Saffron consists entirely of deep-red stigmas with no white style parts, ensuring maximum purity and rich coloring. The threads are completely separated, making it visually appealing for premium markets.
Its quality is superior to Dasteh (Bunch) and Pushal varieties, and it is widely recognized as one of the best saffron types suitable for both domestic and export use.
Known also as Mumtaz Saffron, Ghaenat Saffron, Sar-Risheh, or Sar-Ghalam, Sargol represents the pure, classic form of saffron in the minds of most buyers.
In this grade, the style (root) is completely removed, leaving only the most valuable part – separated, pure-red stigmas. Quality grading is based on:
- Length of the stigmas
- Absence of white fragments dyed red
Sargol saffron has a coloring power of 200–240 units, making it a preferred choice for both professional chefs and everyday gourmet cooking.
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