Description
Saffron – the world’s most precious, fragrant, and celebrated spice – is highly valued both in fine gastronomy and in the cosmetic and wellness industries.
Iran is widely recognized as the historic homeland of saffron. Today, the country produces over 99% of the world’s saffron, making it the largest exporter, while China is the leading importer.
Saffron owes its captivating aroma and unique flavor to Safranal, while its radiant golden hue is attributed to Crocin. To ensure authenticity and purity, professionals employ advanced analytical techniques such as mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
Key Components of Saffron
| Component | Function / Description |
|---|---|
| Crocin | Responsible for saffron’s golden coloring |
| Picrocrocin | Contributes to saffron’s subtle bitterness |
| Safranal | Gives saffron its distinctive fragrance |
| Lycopene | Also found in tomatoes |
| Beta-carotenes | Also found in carrots |
Botanical Profile
The saffron plant (Crocus sativus) is a small perennial, growing 10–30 cm in height. From its bulb (corm), narrow green leaves emerge, alongside a flowering stem bearing 1–3 blossoms.
Flowers display six violet petals (sometimes pink or purple in certain varieties) and contain three yellow stamens with a pistil ending in a vivid, three-branched stigma of deep red to orange-red.
The commercial saffron consists of the dried stigmas and the tip of the style – aromatic, delicately bitter, and globally prized.
Sargol Saffron
Sargol Saffron is composed exclusively of pure red stigmas, with no yellow or white style segments. The threads are fully separated, ensuring a uniform, premium appearance.
Its quality surpasses Dasteh (Bundle) and Pushal saffron, making it suitable for both domestic and export markets. As the most recognized form of saffron among international customers, Sargol is regarded as one of the top-grade varieties.
Also known as Mumtaz Saffron, Ghaenat Saffron, Sar-Risheh, or Sar-Ghalam, it represents the classic image of high-quality Iranian saffron.
In this variety, the style (root) is completely removed, leaving only separated, pure-red stigmas. Quality grading is based on two main standards:
- Length of the stigma
- Absence of white fragments dyed red
Sargol saffron typically offers a coloring strength of 200–240 units, making it a favorite choice for both home and commercial culinary use.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.