How Much Does Saffron Cost?

The saffron may be the most expensive spice in the world. Derived from the Arabic wordZafaraan, the autumn flowering plant whose stigmas fetch a hefty price in the market has ruled the culinary arena for centuries. The saffron spice is derived from the stigma of the flower of saffron crocus (crocus sativus). The full-grown plant reaches an average height of 12 inches and flowers bloom in October. The fragile purple flower bears three red stigmas that is carefully harvested and dried, the labor-intensive process of cultivating and harvesting made the spice worth a king's ransom.

Saffron was first documented around 7th Century BC, and has been around for more than 4,000 years. The importance of the spice was first discovered in the Middle East and later on travelled around the world crossing boundaries and cultures. Its origin was traced back in the mountain range of Zargos in Iran, where it was cultivated and used in the kitchen of the royals. The Arabs brought saffron in Spain when they colonized the country.

Aside from being a flavor enhancer, saffron was discovered to have medicinal properties, believed to have anti-carcinogenic compounds. It has been used in the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, Diabetes, common ailments such as cough, colic, scabies and
gastrointestinal diseases. The royals used saffron in their bath for stress relief and as an aphrodisiac. The vivid color of the stigma gives a luminous yellow-orange coloring to foods and has been widely used industrially as a fabric dye and in perfumery.

Over the years many varieties of the saffron were cultivated in different countries. Spain's cultivars are mellower in color and aroma, Italian varieties are more potent than Spain's, Kashmiri's "Mongra" or "Lacha" are very expensive because of its difficulty in growing this variety, hence, very rare.

To date, Iran is still the major producer of saffron with more than 90% of the world's total production. A kilo of dry saffron requires about 170,000 flowers. Painstakingly hand-picked threads (stigma) are quickly dried and sealed in airtight containers. Top quality saffron is evidenced by its vivid red color, slight moistness and unbroken thread. Saffron's quality is graded by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and prices are dictated by the government of the countries producing them. Wholesale and retail prices in the US range from US$500 to US$5,000 per pound or about US$1,000 to US$11,000 per kilo. In Canada per kilogram is about US$18,000. In Western countries, the average retail is US$1,000 per pound, US$2,200 per kilogram. Truly a price equal if not more than that of gold.