The Science of Spice

Spice Profiles

Region of cultivation

Native to parts of the Mediterranean and

originally cultivated in Greece, saffron is now

mainly grown in Iran, which accounts for 90 per

cent of world production, as well as Kashmir,

Spain, Greece, Afghanistan, and Morocco.

The plant

Saffron is a bulbous

perennial crocus plant in

the iris family, which

grows to around 15cm

(6in) high and blooms in

autumn. The six-petalled

flowers sprout from a corm

(swollen stem base).

Whole strands

More than 6,000 flowers and over 12 hours

labour makes just 30g (1oz) of saffron, so if

it’s cheap, be suspicious. Imitation saffron

is often odourless and may taste sweet,

rather than bitter. Pre-ground saffron is

easily adulterated and best avoided.

Each flower

contains three red

stigmas and three

yellow stamens

(the flower’s male

sexual organs)

Up to five pale

mauve flowers

are produced by

each corm

Strands readily absorb

moisture from the air, so keep

them dry in a sealed container

Look for vibrant red

strands – duller red-brown

or pale stigmas may be stale

BOTANICAL NAME

Crocus sativus

ALSO KNOWN AS

Red gold.

MAJOR FLAVOUR COMPOUND

Picrocrocin.

PARTS USED

Flower stigmas (female pollen-

catching reproductive parts).

METHOD OF CULTIVATION

Harvesting takes place over two weeks in

late autumn. Flowers are hand-picked

pre-dawn, before they open for the day.

COMMERCIAL PREPARATION

The stigmas are laid out on a sieve, dried,

and then transferred to airtight tins.

NON-CULINARY USES

Cosmetic colouring agent and fabric dye;

in Ayurvedic medicine as a sedative and to

treat coughs and asthma.

GREECE

IRAN

SAFFRON

Grassy | Bitter | Honeyed

SPAIN

MOROCCO

Grown since the Early Bronze Age,

saffron has been prized for millennia.

Cleopatra is said to have bathed in

saffron-scented mare’s milk, China’s

Buddhist monks used it to colour their

robes, and it was adored by Greeks,

Romans, and Indian emperors as food

and medicine. As trade routes opened

up in medieval times, Arabs took it to

Spain and Crusaders to France and

England. Britain cultivated it in the

Middle Ages, and the Essex town of

Saffron Walden is named after the

spice that grew there. Owing to its

value, saffron has been adulterated

for as long as it has been traded and

imitations (turmeric, marigold petals,

and safflower) are rife even today.

Kashmiri saffron is particularly prized,

as is saffron from La Mancha in Spain,

which has been granted EU Protected

Designation of Origin (PDO) status.

Saffron’s modern name derives from

the Arabic for yellow: asfar.

Spice story

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