You’ve probably heard of saffron and know that it’s expensive, but have you ever wondered why?
Saffron is expensive because of how many saffron flowers it takes to harvest the spice and the fact that it has to be harvested manually, making labor costs a significant part of its production.
Just how expensive is saffron, and what can you do with it if you decide to fork out the money for it? We have the answers to those questions and more next!
What is saffron?
Saffron is a spice derived from the Crocus sativus plant (also called the saffron crocus or autumn crocus). This plant has purple flowers with brightly colored red-orange stigmas, which are parts of the flower’s reproductive system. The stigmas are sticky, which also help collect pollen in the air.
The spice saffron comes from the dried stigmas of the flowers of the saffron crocus. Saffron has an earthy, sweet, and slightly bitter taste. According to The Food Network, saffron is used in Indian, Moroccan, and Iranian cuisines, such as in curries or to make syrups for desserts. Saffron’s bright red-orange hue can be used as natural food coloring as well.
In addition to being used for culinary purposes, saffron has potential health benefits as well. Saffron gets its bright color from carotenoids, a type of antioxidant that is present in carrots, pumpkins, spinach, and other fruits and vegetables.
Studies on saffron have shown its potential to promote heart health, improve mental health outcomes, and reduce the risk of learning and memory impairments, among other potential benefits. Those wanting to take saffron for its potential health benefits can find saffron extract in supplement form.
How do you use saffron?
You can buy dried threads of saffron or saffron powder, which is when the threads are ground into a powder similar to other ground spices.
If you’re using saffron threads, you’ll need to “brew” or “steep” them like tea to extract their flavor. Placing saffron threads in warm liquid and then adding the “saffron broth” to dishes is a typical method, whereas you can add saffron powder directly to your dish.
How much does saffron cost, and why is it so expensive?
So just how expensive is saffron? Known as “red gold” because of its high cost, one gram of saffron can cost anywhere from $10-$20, or around $10,000 per pound! The high price tag is due to many factors:
- It takes around 75,000 saffron flowers to make one pound of the spice saffron.
- Saffron has to be harvested manually, which means it costs more to pay for the labor. The stigmas have to be removed by hand using tweezers, and there are only three stigmas per saffron flower.
- Saffron flowers bloom in the fall, which limits the harvesting time. The stigmas usually appear after the flowers bloom around October-November.
How can you tell real saffron from fake saffron?
As you can imagine, fake saffron can be a big problem given how valuable the real stuff is. Fake saffron is often corn silk threads dyed with artificial food coloring to pass off as the real thing. So how can you tell if saffron is the real deal and not an imposter? There are several tests you can do at home to ensure you have genuine saffron.
- Place a saffron thread in water. Real saffron should float, not sink.
- Place a thread of saffron in hot water for several minutes. If saffron is fake, the artificial dye will quickly bleed out, whereas real saffron will very slowly turn the water a yellow color. If the water is a rich red hue, it’s likely from food dye.
- Rub saffron threads between your fingers. Real saffron won’t crumble like fake saffron.
Cost comparison of saffron
We were curious how much saffron is going for online, so we compiled a few examples of current costs for this highly valuable spice.
| Brand | Form | Cost |
| McCormick | 0.06 oz of dried threads (250+ in bottle) | $18.33 ($312 per ounce) |
| Frontier Co-op | 1 gram of dried threads | $18.99 ($532 per ounce) |
| Spice Islands | 0.03 oz of dried threads | $11.62 ($383 per ounce) |
FAQs:
One ounce of saffron can cost anywhere from $300 to over $500 per ounce. That’s not quite as expensive as gold which is over $2,000 per ounce. Saffron is still considered “red gold” because of its high cost compared to other spices.
One pound of saffron can run you anywhere from $5,000 to $8,500 per pound or more, depending on the retailer, making saffron the world’s most expensive spice.
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