Why is saffron so expensive?

Saffron is a spice obtained from Crocus sativus, also known as saffron sativus. Each flower contains three threads which are plucked and then dried.

The earliest use of saffron was found by archaeologists in Iraq. It was found in paint dye of 50,000 year old cave paintings. But as far as cultivation goes, it is believed Assyrians were the first to cultivate it in 7th century BC.

Today Saffron is cultivated in many countries but Iran still holds the title as the biggest produces an consumer of.

To understand why saffron is so expensive we must talk about it’s cultivation and harvesting. Saffron flower is a very delicate plant that grows out of hard dry earth. It needs plenty of sunshine, specially in autumn when it’s blooming. Therefore just a few days of autumn rain will damage your crop.

Once one has managed to survive autumn there comes the time to harvest. Unlike much of farming today, saffron flowers have to be harvested by hand. Each flower is painstakingly propagated and the stigmas (threads) are very gently separated. If this process is not done gently the threads will get damaged and loose their colour and flavour.

So the whole process of saffron farming is very laborious. The other factor that makes good quality saffron expensive is the yield ratio. On average 80,000 flowers will give you 500 grams of spice.

What does saffron taste like?

Once you open a good quality saffron jar the first thing that will hit your senses is the glorious sweet and floral aroma. If I was to give an example of a similar scent, I would say spring blossom honey.

Saffron has an earthy, sweet floral taste. It is very distinctive in character. In large neat dosage it can have a bitter flavour but no one ever uses saffron in large dosage.

Saffron is a fantastic spice and you can use it in Recipes of many different dishes and beverages.

Don’t be put off by the price tag. A small amount of good quality saffron goes a long way if used properly.

How to use saffron?

When purchasing saffron, it usually comes in strand form. Here are four ways we recommend using saffron spice.

Strands. Try using strands for garnishing. We see time and time some chefs or food bloggers take a big pinch of saffron strands and add it to their recipe. Please don’t do that, the flavour and colour will be much less than the other methods, you will also have to use much more saffron.
Lightly Crushed. Lightly crush saffron strands between fingers or use a mortar and pestle. Roughly around 5mm would do. This is the a preferred method for backing and adding to beverages. You may also use this method to your recipe,
Crushed. This is when you crush saffron strands into granules 1 to 3mm. This is our favoured method in using saffron for cooking, backing or just adding to your drink. This method will give you fantastic yield in aroma, colour and flavour.
Powder. This form can be achieved by using a coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle, you can add a bit of salt to the saffron strands in the mortar, to make grinding easier. this is a great method if you don’t have time to brew your saffron for adding to your recipe. Just add desired amount to lukewarm water and wait 10 minuets for the spice to brew. An important point to remember is always grind the amount of saffron you need to use. Saffron powder may get ruined in damp atmosphere. If you are an avid user of saffron then keeping saffron powder should be fine.

For best result we recommend brewing your saffron spice on ice.

Saffron spice

Now that we have explained what saffron is, we hope you appreciate why this spice is so expensive. If you are looking to purchase saffron For 1 gram of good quality saffron you should be paying £6.50 to £9.00. If you follow methods we have explained here, also with more detail in our Recipes page. You will realise 1 gram of saffron spice goes a long way.

If you have enjoyed reading this article and would like to delve a little bit more into this subject we recommend Cultivation and History.

To learn about our farming and production methods we will appreciate if you would look at our Eco-Friendly Saffron Spice.