What Is Saffron—and Why Is It So Expensive?

Though saffron has a history that dates back thousands of years, it maintains an air of exclusivity and mystery. With just three weeks each year in which to harvest the flowers that provide saffron, and only hours each day to catch just-opened blooms before they wilt, the resulting spice is a pricy—but invaluable—addition to sweet or savory recipes.

What Is Saffron?

Saffron is a spice known for its vibrant color and rich flavor. It's made from the bright, orange-red stigmas found in the center of crocus sativus, the saffron crocus. "Each flower produces three stigmas, which are then hand harvested and dried to become saffron threads,” says Tahmina Ghaffer, founder of Moonflowers Co., a spice company.

Though saffron threads and ground saffron can be used interchangeably, says Ghaffer, "the powder releases color and flavor faster when you add a liquid." But since the quality of saffron is linked to the length and color of the stigmas, it can be hard to know what you'll get when buying a powdered version. "I would advise to buy the saffron threads so you see what quality saffron you’re getting," she says. "When using saffron in recipes, you can grind it yourself."

Flavor Profile of Saffron

Saffron has a unique taste and scent—one that's not always easy to describe. “Saffron tastes honey-like, floral, sweet, pungent and earthy—though subtle," says Ghaffer.

"The way a flower perfumes the air, saffron perfumes a dish," says Ronna Welsh of Purple Kale Kitchenworks. "Its flavor is indirect, ephemeral; it’s almost hard to get your taste buds around," she says. "While saffron is often used to impart its signature color to a dish, it’s the aroma and flavor you’re after,”

Cuisines That Use Saffron

Since saffron grows from Spain to India, it has become a key ingredient in the recipes and history of many cultures, says Ghaffer. "What is grown on the lands becomes part of the local cuisine," she says. "Cleopatra was said to bathe in saffron-infused mare’s milk before seeing a suitor. In Afghanistan, saffron is used in desserts like rice pudding, tea, rice and stews. The Spanish use saffron in paella and sauces. In neighboring Iran, saffron is used throughout many recipes. Saffron is used in desserts, curries and milk drinks in Indian cuisine."

Why Saffron Is So Expensive

Harvesting saffron is incredibly time-consuming and labor-intensive. The flowers have a short harvesting season, minimal lifespan, and require a delicate touch. "The flowering stage of the saffron starts in October and continues for three weeks. Each flower lives for only 48 hours," says Ghaffer. The flowers open early in the morning but wilt in full sun, requiring harvesters to collect them by hand as quickly as possible.

After the flowers are collected, they are taken to a processing warehouse where the three stigmas are removed by hand, dried, and packaged. "It takes about 70,000 saffron flowers to make one pound of the saffron spice," says Ghaffer. "So much manual labor goes into making the saffron spice. This is why saffron is the most expensive spice in the world."

Health Benefits of Saffron

According to Ghaffer, saffron has a long history of medicinal use, and is believed to mimic some of the attributes of medication. "Saffron is a powerful source of antioxidants, which protect your cells against free radicals and oxidative stress," she says. "There are studies that have proven that saffron acts as an aphrodisiac, and saffron naturally contains many of the properties that are similar to medication used to treat depression and anxiety." The spice is also believed to improve sleep quality, possibly because of the soothing magnesium it contains, she says.

What to Look for When Buying Saffron

High-quality saffron will be deep red in color, says Welsh. "Avoid saffron with variations in hue," she says. "Yellow stamens from the saffron flower, often put in as filler, impart little flavor or color." Other ways to make sure you've purchased the real stuff require using your senses, says Ghaffer.

• Smell: "The smell should be distinguished and soft. The aroma should be floral, honey-like, with a slight sweetness to it—this is a measure of the element safranal in saffron," she says. 
• Taste: "The taste should be floral, sweet, and at the same time earthy. This is a measure of picrocrocin in saffron," says Ghaffer.
• Sight: "The appearance of saffron you can test by adding water to saffron threads," says Ghaffer. "If it starts coloring the water quickly, your saffron may be fake or low-quality; real saffron slowly turns the water into a yellow/golden color. This test measures the crocin of saffron."

How to Use Saffron

While saffron powder can be sprinkled directly onto food, the spice best carries its flavor through liquid, says Welsh. "Saffron added to paella, for instance, infuses in and travels by the wine or stock used to cook the rice," she says. "Saffron added to a pot of water creates heady steam for a pot of couscous."

Both experts recommend "a pinch" of saffron—about 10 to 15 threads—for most recipes. "A little goes a long way," says Welsh. "For a batch of paella to feed eight, I’d use just a large pinch of saffron threads." Since you don't need large quantities, investing in a package should allow you to make plenty of recipes with a single purchase; Ghaffer likes saffron flan and her mother's saffron kofta chalau.

"You don’t need a lot of saffron to flavor your recipe," says Ghaffer. "You just need to know how to apply it."

Recipes With Saffron

Incorporate this colorful, aromatic spice into recipes for entrees, desserts, and soups.

• Saffron Chicken Noodle Soup: A rustic chicken soup made with carrots, leeks, and celery gets a flavor boost from vibrant saffron.
• Saffron Yogurt Chicken Kebabs: Highlight the Mediterranean influence that saffron adds to a dish with this yogurt marinade, which makes a quick and delicious grilled chicken.
• Saffron-Rice and Potato Skillet Cake: This Persian-inspired skillet cake includes a layer of crispy potato crust and jasmine rice cooked with dried cherries.
• Saffron Shortbread: A traditional butter shortbread is brushed with saffron water and sprinkled with sugar for an unexpected accent.
• Saffron-and-Orange-Scented Seafood Stew: Saffron is a common ingredient in paella. This seafood stew alternative combines shrimp, white fish, clams, and mussels into a savory white wine sauce.