ABOUT SAFFRON

What is Saffron

Saffron, a small, bulbous, perennial spice, is a member of the lily family and is highly prized for its unique flavor and vibrant color. Derived from the Crocus sativus flower, also known as the “saffron crocus,” the vivid crimson stigma and golden threads are meticulously hand-picked and sun-dried from the beautiful purple flowers.

To cultivate this precious spice, saffron is carefully planted by laying its roots under the soil. With each planting cycle lasting for 5 years, optimal blooming occurs in the second through fourth years, after which the quantity of flowers gradually diminishes. The old roots must be replaced with new ones for another 5 years to maintain the highest quality and yield.

Saffron flourishes in a climate of cold, frozen winters and very dry summers, providing the ideal growing conditions for this delicate and exquisite spice.

Saffron, unlike most other flowers, does not thrive with regular watering during the summer months. In fact, it only requires minimal watering, typically one or two times at the end of the season, about one week before blooming. The blooming season for saffron occurs in the middle of autumn, when the flowers start to bloom for a period of 20 to 30 days, every morning at sunrise and closing in the middle of the day. It is crucial for farmers to carefully hand-pick the flowers during this brief window of time before they close.

Each saffron flower contains one stigma with three branches that are attached together at the bottom part and covered by the style and petals. When the flowers are fully bloomed and the petals have opened, the stigmas must be painstakingly hand-picked, as any mishandling may result in damage to the delicate stigmas. This labor-intensive process requires immense effort, starting from sunrise and continuing until the middle of the day, to ensure that all the open flowers are harvested.

The picked saffron flowers are collected in baskets and stored in a cool area until the workers are ready to remove the stigmas from the petals, one by one, in the afternoon. The stigmas are then carefully separated from the white style and laid on a sieve to be cured over heat or sun-dried, which deepens their flavor. The entire process of saffron harvesting is exceptionally labor-intensive, making saffron one of the most expensive spices in the world.

Aside from being an aromatic and colorful spice, saffron is also renowned for its numerous health benefits, earning it the reputation of being a “life-giving herb.” It is widely used as a seasoning and coloring agent in various foods and beverages. Pound for pound, saffron is the most costly natural product in the world. Its unique properties make it a prized addition to a healthy and vibrant lifestyle.

Saffron Flower

Each saffron flower contains three stigmas, which are thread-like structures that are the source of the spice. These stigmas are located in the center of the flower and are connected to the ovary by a style. The petals of the saffron flower are a beautiful purple color and protect the stigmas and style.

To harvest the saffron spice, the flowers must be picked during a specific window of time when they are in full bloom. The stigmas are then carefully removed from the petals and dried to deepen the flavor. It takes a significant amount of labor to pick the delicate flowers and remove the stigmas by hand, making saffron one of the most expensive spices in the world.

By understanding the intricate parts of the saffron flower, we can better appreciate the work that goes into producing this unique and valuable spice.

Saffron Types

Negin, Sargol, and Poshal are three different grades of saffron based on the way they are processed and the parts of the saffron crocus flower that are used.

  • Negin: Negin saffron is a premium variety that is longer and thicker than other varieties. It has a dark red color and contains no yellow or white parts. Negin saffron is highly valued for its strong aroma, flavor, and coloring properties.
  • Sargol: Sargol saffron is made up of only the red stigmas of the saffron crocus flower. The yellow style and other parts of the flower are removed, leaving behind only the valuable stigmas. Sargol saffron has a deep red color and a strong, pungent aroma.
  • Poshal: Poshal saffron contains the whole stigma, including the yellow style, which gives it a slightly lighter color than Sargol saffron. Poshal saffron is known for its sweet taste and strong aroma.

Climate and Saffron Harvest

The saffron crocus, which cannot be found in the wild, is believed to have originated from Crocus Cartwrightianus. This plant is a triploid and is “self-incompatible” and male sterile. As a result, it is not capable of reproducing independently through sexual means, and all propagation must be done through vegetative multiplication using a starter clone or through interspecific hybridization. This involves manual “divide-and-set” methods.

Climate

The northeastern region of Iran boasts a native climate that is particularly conducive to the production of high-quality saffron. In fact, saffron produced in this region is widely regarded as some of the finest in the world. For generations, many farmers in this area have made saffron their primary crop, passed down as a heritage farming tradition.

The Crocus sativus plant flourishes in Mediterranean maquis, an ecotype that bears a superficial resemblance to the North American chaparral, as well as similar climates characterized by hot and dry summer winds that sweep semi-arid lands. Although the plant can survive cold winters and tolerate frost as low as −10 °C and short periods of snow cover, irrigation is necessary when grown outside of moist environments such as Kashmir, where annual rainfall averages 1,000–1,500 mm. Compared to the main cultivating regions in Iran, saffron-growing areas in Greece (500 mm) and Spain (400 mm) experience far drier conditions.

The optimal timing of local wet seasons is a key factor in facilitating successful saffron cultivation. Specifically, the combination of abundant spring rains followed by drier summers creates an ideal environment for saffron growth. Rainfall that occurs immediately prior to the flowering period can significantly enhance saffron yields, while inclement weather during this stage can lead to disease and reduced yields.

However, persistently damp and hot weather conditions can prove detrimental to saffron crops. Additionally, the presence of animals such as rabbits, rats, and birds can cause damage to corms by digging them up. Other threats to saffron cultivation include nematodes, leaf rusts, and corm rot. To mitigate some of these risks, growers may choose to inoculate with Bacillus subtilis, which has been shown to accelerate corm growth and increase stigma biomass yield.