Saffron is the world’s most expensive—and exquisite—spice. Its golden-red threads—as brilliant as a summer sunset—are worth their weight in gold. Well, almost. A pound of dried saffron goes for about $5,000, about 25 percent of the price of a pound of gold. Thank goodness saffron is sold by the gram!
The stigma is the pollen-gathering part of the flower—and saffron is the dried stigma of the blue saffron crocus. It’s easy to see why saffron is the most expensive spice in the world when you consider that it takes 80,000 crocus flowers and a quarter million dried stigmas to produce one pound of saffron!
Saffron is the dried stigma of the blue saffron crocus.The stigmas are picked by hand as the fall-blooming flower begins to open, a task that takes on ceremonial proportions during the two to three weeks of harvest in Iran, in the Kashmiri region of India, and around La Mancha in Spain, where a lot of the world’s saffron is grown. Saffron is commonly grown on a family farm in these regions—and every family member lends a hand, working round the clock to pick, pluck, and dry the stigmas, and ready them for market. The hard work is often followed by a happy celebration—the euphoria coming, perhaps, from such a large infusion of mood-boosting saffron!
Mother Nature’s Prozac
“In Persian traditional medicine, saffron is used for depression,” wrote a team of psychiatrists from the Tehran University Medical Center in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
And that’s why the psychiatrists decided to test the spice to see if it might work to beat depression. And also because they figured it might work a lot better than antidepressant drugs.
“Although a variety of pharmaceutical agents are available for the treatment of depression, psychiatrists find that many patients cannot tolerate the side effects, do not respond adequately, or finally lose their response,” said the researchers.
It turned out that saffron brightened a lot of blue days.
As good as fluoxetine (Prozac). The researchers studied 40 people with mild to moderate depression, dividing them into two groups—one took fluoxetine; the other took saffron (15 milligrams, twice a day). After two months, saffron was as effective as fluoxetine, relieving depression in 25 percent of the study participants.
An effective treatment. In a second study from Iran, psychiatrists again studied 40 people with mild to moderate depression, dividing them into two groups—one took 30 mg of saffron a day and the other took a placebo. After six weeks, those taking the saffron had much lower scores on the standard test for depression (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale). The findings were in Phytomedicine.
Another team of Iranian researchers—studying 40 people for six weeks who took either saffron or a placebo—saw an even stronger effect for the spice. Their results were reported in Phytotherapy Research.
As effective as imipramine (Tofranil). In another study from Iran, researchers compared saffron to the antidepressant imipramine (Tofranil), which is a tricylic antidepressant. Thirty people with mild-to-moderate depression were divided into two groups, with one taking the spice and one taking the drug. Saffron was just as effective as the drug. The results were in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
The active ingredient. The spice may work in exactly the same way that many antidepressants do, say Iranian researchers: two compounds in saffron (crocin and safranal) protect levels of several brain chemicals (serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine) that boost and stabilize mood.
Chinese researchers investigated the antidepressant mechanism of saffron, in animal research. They concluded that crocin was the active ingredient in the spice, and that this saffron compound “should be considered as a new plant material for curing depression.” Their findings were in the Journal of Natural Medicine.
Saffron, On and On
There are many other ways that saffron may help you stay healthy or feel better.
Atherosclerosis. Twenty people—10 healthy, 10 with heart disease—took 100 mg a day of saffron. After six weeks, the oxidization of cholesterol (the key process in forming artery-clogging plaque) was decreased by 43 percent in the healthy individuals and 36 percent in those with heart disease.
Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers studied 54 people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, dividing them into two groups—one received 30 mg a day of saffron and one received donepezil (Aricept), a drug often prescribed to slow the disease. After five months, saffron was as effective as donepezil at slowing mental decline, but without the side effects. The study was reported in the journal Psychopharmacology.
Menstrual cramps. Researchers studied 180 women, aged 18 to 27, who suffered from menstrual cramps, dividing them into three groups. For three menstrual periods (from Day 1 to Day 3), one group received a daily herbal remedy containing 500 mg of saffron; another group received daily mefenamic acid (Ponstel), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug similar to ibuprofen; a third group received a placebo. Both those taking saffron and Ponstel had a “significant reduction” in the intensity and duration of pain during the periods—with the greatest reduction seen in those taking saffron. The study was reported in the Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS). An estimated 70 to 90 percent of women experience PMS, with 10 to 40 percent saying the symptoms—mental, emotional, and physical discomforts of all kinds, starting mid-cycle and continuing until menses—interfere with daily life. Researchers studied women with PMS, aged 20 to 45, dividing them into two groups—for two menstrual cycles, one received 30 mg a day of saffron and one didn’t. “Saffron was found to be effective in relieving the symptoms of PMS,” wrote the researchers in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Infertility (male). Fifty-two infertile men were put on a daily dose of 50 mg of saffron. After three months, their percentage of normally shaped sperm (morphology) rose by 21 percent, and the number of sperm with normal movement (motility) doubled. The findings were in Urology Journal. It’s probably crocin, the powerful antioxidant in saffron, that protected and regenerated the sperm, producing these “promising results,” said the researchers in Urology Journal.
Erectile dysfunction. Researchers studied 20 men with erectile dysfunction (ED), giving them 200 mg of saffron a day. After 10 days, they had a 44 percent improvement in their scores on the International Index of Erectile Function, a standard questionnaire to determine the severity of ED. The findings were in Phytomedicine.
Cancer. Saffron has stymied many types of cancer in test tube and animal studies, including lung, colon, breast, liver, pancreatic, bladder, and cervical cancer, and leukemia. Saffron “may have potential to prevent and/or to treat certain forms of cancer,” concluded a team of researchers, after reviewing more than 30 studies on saffron and cancer, in the journal Acta Horticulturae.
Anxiety and insomnia. “Saffron is used for insomnia and anxiety in traditional medicine,” noted a team of scientists in Phytotherapy Research. In an animal experiment, they found saffron extracts reduced anxiety-like activity and increased total sleep time.
Memory loss. Researchers in Greece found that compounds in saffron improved memory in experimental animals. The findings were in Behavioral Brain Research.
Age-related macular degeneration. This gradual destruction of the macula—the center of the retina—is the leading cause of blindness in the US. Doctors at Texas A&M University College of Medicine found that crocin-derived compounds could “significantly increase the blood flow in the retina” and “could be used to treat . . . age-related macular degeneration.” They reported their results in the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
Parkinson’s disease. In this neurodegenerative disease, there’s a gradual and progressive destruction of the area of the brain that produces dopamine, leading to a range of symptoms, such as tremors, muscular rigidity, apathy, and dementia. In an animal experiment, researchers in India found the crocetin in saffron protected dopamine-generating brain cells, and stabilized dopamine levels. Crocetin, wrote the researchers, “is helpful in preventing Parkinsonism and has therapeutic potential in combating this devastating neurological disorder.” The results were reported in Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior.
Multiple sclerosis. Researchers in Pakistan used saffron to reduce the symptoms in animals with experimentally induced multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that destroys the sheath around nerve cells, causing a wide range of neuromuscular symptoms, such as difficulty walking. Saffron “may be potentially useful for the treatment of multiple sclerosis,” concluded the researchers.
Getting to Know Saffron
There are nearly 100 varieties of crocus flowers but there is only one that contains the stigmas that become the spice saffron—the leafless blue crocus. The orange-red stigmas are attached to a membrane in the base of the flower called a style. And when the flowers open in the fall, the fragile stigmas must be quickly removed from the styles by hand. Care is taken not to remove bits of style along with the stigmas. (Getting a little style in a batch of saffron is okay, but too much ruins the quality and reduces the price.) Once dried, the stigmas become a matted mass of curly, thread-thin strands so light a small breeze can sweep them away.
Because the styles must be picked as soon as the flowers open, an entire harvest is usually completed in a few around-the-clock days. The blue crocus is native to Iran, but crocus farms are now found in many countries (Iran, India, Spain, Greece, and England are among the most productive) and are mostly family owned.
Saffron may help prevent and/or treat:
Alzheimer’s disease
Anxiety
Atherosclerosis
Cancer
Depression
Erectile dysfunction
Fatigue
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Infertility, male
Insomnia
Macular degeneration,
age-related
Memory loss (age-related, mild cognitive decline)
Menstrual cramps
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson’s disease
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
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Saffron pairs well with these spices:
Almond
Cinnamon
Clove
Coriander
Cumin
Mint
Nutmeg
and complements recipes featuring:
Chicken
Couscous
Curries
Flan
Lamb
Nuts
Polenta
Puddings
Rice
Shellfish
Soups
Saffron is as old as civilization. The ancient Greeks used the spice to scent and purify their temples. The ancient Romans bathed in saffron water. Cleopatra used it as a facial mask. (Or so the legends say. I sometimes wonder if there are any spices Cleopatra didn’t use in her facial masks.)
Throughout medieval times, saffron had great commercial importance in Europe, especially as a dye, with saffron-colored clothes becoming the garb of royalty and nobility.
As a culinary spice, saffron is most popular in the regions where it’s harvested. Spain and Portugal make great use of saffron, and you’ll find its telltale hue in their myriad fish and seafood broths. Spain’s national dishpaella, a large collection of meats and seafood, gets its signature brilliant golden color from saffron.
Provencal cooking features saffron as an essential ingredient in bouillabaisse and in rouille, a garlic mayonnaise spiked with saffron and red chile.
But saffron colors rice dishes everywhere, including Indian biryanis, and the Indian rice pudding kheer, and Iranian pilafs and the Iranian rice pudding shola. Saffron is also the key spice in classic Italian risotto Milanese.
Saffron is used in India’s grand Moghul cuisine. Lamb is marinated for three days to make the elaborate Shahi raan, royal roast leg of lamb with saffron raisin sauce.
Arabs use saffron with cardamom to flavor coffees.
Scandinavians celebrate the feast of the patron saint Santa Lucia on December 13 by baking saffron bread called Lussekatter (Lucy’s kitten), which is traditionally served by a daughter in the household wearing a long white robe, carrying a candle, and wearing a crown of lingonberries.
The Pennsylvania Dutch—German immigrants who settled in eastern Pennsylvania—use saffron to color and flavor their famous potpie, which isn’t a pie at all but a chicken stew buried under large, square noodles. The original settlers brought crocus and saffron with them from Germany and grow the spice from their own backyards.
How to Buy Saffron
Because it is so expensive, saffron is also the most adulterated (and fabricated) spice. In 16th-century Germany, camouflaging safflower, turmeric, and other inexpensive substances to look like saffron was a big business—and a crime. In fact, the Germans took the offense so seriously that they formed a group of inquisitors called the Safranschau, who pursued, tried, and punished “adulterers.”
Though saffron is grown in many regions throughout the world (220 tons are produced a year), Spanish saffron from La Mancha is considered the best, with Kashmiri Indian a close second. Australia’s Tasmanian saffron is a new contender for high-quality saffron, and is possibly the most expensive. However, 90 percent of the world’s saffron is produced in Iran.
Saffron comes in two standard grades: pure stigmas, which have no style, and filaments, with a piece of pale style attached. Words like coupé (Spanish), morga (Indian), poshal (Iranian), and stigmata (Greek) all denote pure stigmas. These are also subgraded according to the amount of crocin in the saffron. Higher crocin means better quality. The darker the color, the more crocin in the saffron. Saffron can range in color from yellowish orange to deep burgundy. Greek saffron from the town of Krokos is strictly controlled and its producers claim it has the highest crocin content. The least expensive saffron comes from Mexico.
Filaments are easy to spot, as an end of the stigma will be pale or yellow in color. Within this grade are also subgrades, based on the amount of other floral waste in the product. Typically, filaments are about 20 percent cheaper than stigmas. Iranian sargoal (a filament) can sell for 2/3 the cost of stigmas.
Generally, saffron is sold as 1/20 of an ounce—about a tablespoon—in a glass vial or small plastic case. Most of the saffron sold in the US is filament from La Mancha.
Saffron is also sold ground, but unless you are absolutely certain that it is the real thing, you are better off buying the threads.
A typical vial of saffron runs from $10 to $20 or more. If you see saffron any cheaper it’s likely an imposter. Turmeric powder, which is inexpensive, is often passed off as saffron, especially to tourists shopping in foreign spice markets. Safflower is so frequently made to resemble saffron threads it got the nickname “bastard saffron.” It has no taste.
Shellfish in Saffron BrothThis is a classic shellfish stew from Catalonia. It is best made ahead of time so the flavors gel and richen.
2 dozen clams or mussels, or a mixture of the two
½ cup white wine
½ cup chopped onions
½ red bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, julienned
1 celery stalk, julienned
1 red-skinned potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
2 cups chicken broth
1.8 teaspoon saffron, crumbled and dissolved in ¼ cup hot water
8 large shrimp
8 large scallops, sliced
4 ounces salmon, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon diced scallions
1. Bring the white wine to a low boil in a deep skillet. Add the clams and mussels and steam, shaking the pan occasionally, until they open. Reserve the clams and the liquid.
2. Sauté the onions, red pepper, garlic, carrots, celery, and potatoes in a medium dutch oven in the butter or oil over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the chicken broth and saffron mixture and bring to a simmer. Stir in the shrimp, scallops, and salmon. Cover and cook until the shrimp and salmon turn pink, about 3 minutes. Add the clams in their shells, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the basil, mint, and parsley and cook 1 minute more. Ladle in bowls and sprinkle with the scallions.
Makes 4 servings.There is only one sure way to tell if your saffron is the real thing. Saffron is soluble in water and starts to bleed its color almost instantly when put in a bowl of warm water.
Saffron will keep in a dry, dark place for three years or longer. It should not be stored in the refrigerator and does not take to freezing.
In the Kitchen with Saffron
The taste of saffron varies depending on where it was grown and the amount of crocin it contains. The aroma is often likened to oaky wine, and the taste honey-like, with a bitter, lingering aftertaste. Once it meets water, its flavor intensifies, so only a pinch is needed in any dish serving four people.
Saffron only works in liquids and must always be infused in warm water or milk before it is added to a recipe. It will bleed most of its color within the first 10 minutes, though infusing it for longer (even hours) is okay. Never infuse saffron in oil, as it will trap the volatile oils in the threads and they will not bleed.
Break or grind the threads in a mortar and pestle before adding them to liquid. The threads are easier to grind if you give them a quick, light toasting in a dry pan first.
Classic ways to use saffron include shellfish stews, soups, curries, rice dishes, and creamy sauces. There is no reason to go overboard using saffron. Increasing the quantity will not increase the flavor.
Curry leaf—with a flavor half lemon and half tangerine—is from a tree that is a member of the citrus family.