What Is Saffron Exactly, and Where Does the Spice Come From?
Saffron is made from the brilliantly reddish-orange threadlike female parts (stigma and style) of the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus). The purple-flowered perennial belongs to the iris family (Iridaceae). It’s a triploid, meaning it has three sets of chromosomes. That also means it’s sterile and needs human intervention to reproduce. (1,2) Saffron was likely discovered in Greece during the Bronze Age. Today, it grows in Europe and Asia; Iran produces 85 percent of the world’s saffron. (2) It takes 75,000 flowers to produce 1 pound of saffron, because each blossom yields only three delicate stigmas. (1) During the Aegean Bronze Age (3000 to 1000 B.C.), the Minoans and the Mycenaeans, who lived on what’s now the island of Crete in Greece, burned saffron as incense. (4) It makes an appearance in the Bible (Song of Solomon 4:14), where a lover compares his bride to the rare, fragrant spice in a poem. (5) It was an ingredient of kyphi, an aromatic used in ancient Egyptian temples dedicated to the goddess Isis. (4) During the European Middle Ages, the spice was introduced to Spain by Arab people and was enjoyed throughout Western Europe as a delicacy, dye, and mood enhancer. (1,6) Saffron is a sacred color in Hinduism and a color in the Indian national flag. (7,8) It is the world’s most expensive spice, costing upward of $2,000 per pound. (9) Calories: 2 Protein: 0.08 g (1.6 percent daily value, or DV) Carbohydrates: 0.46 g Total dietary fiber: 0 g (0 percent DV) Cholesterol: 0 mg Calcium: 1 milligram (mg) (0.1 percent DV) Iron: 0.08 mg (0.44 percent DV) Magnesium: 2 mg (0.5 percent DV) Phosphorus: 2 mg Potassium: 12 mg (0.26 percent DV) Sodium: 1 mg Zinc: 0.01 mg Vitamin C: 0.6 mg (1 percent DV) Thiamin: 0.001 mg Riboflavin: 0.002 mg Niacin: 0.01 mg Vitamin B6: 0.007 mg Folate, dietary folate equivalent (DFE): 0.651 micrograms (mcg) Vitamin A: 4 international units (IU) (.08 percent DV) Among the chemical compounds that give saffron its character are safranal, which is responsible for its wonderful aroma; crocin, which you can thank for its intense hue; and picrocrocin, which imparts its flavor. (11) In a 2007 monograph, however, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that none of the supposed medicinal uses are supported by clinical data, though human studies suggest that the plant’s dried stigmas have antioxidant effects. In a small clinical trial in India cited by the WHO, healthy volunteers who took 50 mg of saffron stigma in 100 milliliters of milk twice daily for six weeks saw 42 percent less oxidation of lipoproteins in their blood than control volunteers who received milk only. Volunteers with coronary artery disease saw 38 percent less oxidation. Oxidation of lipoproteins in the blood is associated with atherosclerosis (the narrowing of the arteries due to plaque buildup). (12,13) A small randomized controlled clinical trial published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine looked at the effect of saffron supplements on people with metabolic syndrome, and researchers concluded that a daily dose of 100 mg of the spice per kilogram of body weight improved “some aspects of oxidative stress or antioxidant protection.” (14) A review of five randomized controlled trials published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine concluded that saffron supplements and antidepressants were similarly effective in treating major depressive disorder. But the authors called for larger clinical trials, conducted outside of Iran, with long-term follow-ups, before firm conclusions could be made about saffron’s effectiveness for treating symptoms of depression. (15) Finally, a study published in the March 2022 Journal of Herbal Medicine found that saffron may be an effective and safe treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED). In the study, men who took two 15 mg capsules of saffron daily for six weeks had lower levels of ED than men who took a placebo. In sum, saffron has some promising potential health benefits, but more research is needed to be certain about the true effects of the spice. As per the USDA’s MyPlate guidelines, saffron is a healthy ingredient you can incorporate into food or tea. According to the WHO, ingesting a whopping 20 g, which is about 9.5 tablespoons (tbsp), of saffron in a day can be fatal. Smaller doses, upward of 5 g (2½ tbsp), may cause vomiting, uterine bleeding and contractions, bloody diarrhea, blood in the urine, vertigo, numbness, and yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes, and bleeding from the nose, lips, and eyelids. The WHO also warns that in rare cases, saffron inhibits the clotting of blood platelets and should therefore be used with caution in people who are taking blood thinners. (12) Keep in mind that cautions about saffron (Crocus sativus) are easily confused with strong warnings about meadow saffron (Colchicum autumnale), an unrelated plant that is poisonous when eaten. (20) True saffron is generally safe to ingest in the amounts that are customarily used in food, teas, and supplements. Considering how expensive saffron is to produce, you should also figure that a bargain on saffron — say a couple of ounces for a few bucks — is no bargain at all but rather a sign of poor quality or fraud. (24) In fact, tests of 10 saffron brands, reported by The Independent in 2011, revealed that some of them were only 10 percent actual saffron. (25) To avoid getting scammed, buy saffron threads instead of the ground stuff, which may be cut with turmeric, paprika, or even bark. Even if it’s the real thing, the ground spice will lose its flavor more quickly. Instead, look for threads that are fine and even in size, with a thin yellow tendril on one end (but not a long one — that’s the style, and it just adds dead weight). On the other end of the scarlet thread, you’ll see trumpetlike fluting. If the thread has a barky smell or appearance, it may be adulterated or fake. (24,26) If you have the chance to sample a thread or two, drop them in warm water in a small bowl. Look for the water to turn a bright, clear yellow within two minutes, with the threads retaining their shape. If it’s cloudy or the threads deform, you likely have an adulterated sample. (24) Look for a pleasant aroma and brittleness in the threads. Store them in a tightly sealed container, such as a small glass jar, in a cool, dark place for up to six months — moisture causes saffron to go bad. After that amount of time, the threads begin to lose their flavor. (26) Saffron from Iran has the best reputation, followed by saffron from Spain, which is highly regulated. The highest grade of Spanish saffron is coupe. (24)
If you are — wait for it — dyeing to try it yourself on a piece of white fabric, be prepared to re-dye periodically. That’s because saffron is a fugitive dye, meaning the color doesn’t last. Needless to say, don’t wash a saffron-dyed garment along with your whites. (28) Follow these instructions from The Art and Craft of Natural Dyeing: Traditional Recipes for Modern Use by J.N. Liles to dye a cotton, linen, silk, or woolen scarf with saffron: (29)
Buy 1 g dried stigmas.Fill a nonreactive pot (such as one made of stainless steel) with water and bring it to a simmer.Drop the stigmas into the water and simmer until all the color is removed from them.Cool the dye bath to 130 to 140 degrees F.Add the thoroughly dampened scarf to the dye bath and simmer it at 120 to 130 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes.Remove the scarf.Make sure your hands are protected with rubber gloves and the scarf is cool enough to touch. Squeeze out the dye, let the scarf cool, rinse it well, and let it dry.
