Saffron: grades, quality, flavour and use

In short: saffron is the hand-picked, dried stigma of the saffron crocus. The finest grade, Super Negin, contains only the long crimson tips of each stigma, giving the deepest colour, the strongest honeyed aroma and the cleanest flavour. A pinch of 15–20 threads, steeped in warm liquid, is enough to transform a dish for four.

What saffron is

Saffron comes from Crocus sativus, an autumn-flowering crocus with violet petals. At the heart of each flower are three crimson stigmas. Harvesters pick the flowers at dawn, before the sun can dull them, and separate the stigmas by hand. Gently dried, they become the threads we know as saffron.

The numbers explain the price: roughly 150 flowers make one gram, and a skilled picker can process only a few hundred grams of fresh stigmas in a long day. No machine has yet replaced that care.

Saffron’s character comes from three natural compounds: crocin (the golden colour), picrocrocin (the gentle, bittersweet taste) and safranal (the honeyed, hay-like aroma). The higher the grade, the more of each you get in every thread.

How saffron is graded

Saffron is sold in different cuts, depending on how much of the pale style (the stem that joins the stigma to the flower) is left on. The less style, the purer and stronger the saffron.

Every Luxury Tastes saffron is Grade 1 Super Negin. In 2025, Great Taste judges tasted it blind and awarded it two stars — “delicacy balanced with power”. Start with the 3 g jar, or choose the 5 g chef’s jar if you cook with saffron every week.

How to spot genuine saffron

Because it is so valuable, saffron is one of the most imitated foods in the world. These simple checks help you buy with confidence:

• The water test. Drop a few threads into warm water. Genuine saffron releases its colour slowly, turning the water golden-yellow over 10–15 minutes while the threads stay red. Dyed fakes bleed red immediately and the threads turn pale.
• The shape. Each real thread flares into a small trumpet at one end. Uniform, straight-cut strands may be shredded imitations.
• The aroma. Real saffron smells of honey, hay and dried flowers. A dusty or chemical smell is a warning sign.
• The taste. Genuine saffron tastes subtly bitter, never sweet — even though it gives dishes a sweet, floral impression.
• The price and form. Be wary of powders and very low prices. Buying whole threads from a named, traceable brand is the safest choice.

How to use saffron

The secret is to bloom the threads before cooking, which draws out their colour and flavour evenly:

1. Lightly crush 15–20 threads (about 0.1 g) with a pinch of sugar or salt in a mortar — our crystal mortar & pestle is made for exactly this.
2. Steep in 3–4 tablespoons of warm (not boiling) water, stock or milk for 15–20 minutes.
3. Add the golden liquid — threads and all — to your dish towards the end of cooking.

A traditional Persian refinement is to rest the ground saffron over an ice cube and let it melt slowly, which gives an especially vivid, aromatic infusion.

Saffron shines in risotto alla Milanese, paella, biryani, bouillabaisse and Persian rice dishes, and in sweet things too — custards, ice cream, buns, poached pears and saffron tea. See our recipes for ideas.

How to store saffron

Light, heat, air and moisture are saffron’s enemies. Keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dark cupboard — not the fridge, where condensation can form. Stored this way, whole threads keep their best character for around two years. Grind only what you need, just before using it. The metal 10 g gold tin keeps the threads in the dark between uses.

A Persian heritage

Saffron has been cultivated and cherished in Persian culture for millennia — woven into golden rice dishes, rosewater sweets, fragrant teas and the colours of celebration. Luxury Tastes was founded to share that heritage with discerning cooks in Britain and beyond, pairing traditional craft with modern traceability and care.

Frequently asked questions