How Much Does Saffron Cost?

Saffron is used to add a distinctive aroma, flavor, and color to both sweet and savory dishes. This beautifully fragrant spice is derived from the red stigmas of a particular saffron flower, Crocus sativus, which grows in some of the wildest parts of the world and must be hand-picked with the utmost care.

Only three strands can be picked from each flowering plant at a time, meaning that 1 gram of saffron requires 150 saffron flowers - it is said to be worth more than its weight in gold.

How Much Does Saffron Cost?

The price of saffron is, on average, anywhere between $7 and $35 (≈2.3 hours of uninterrupted labor at $15/hour) per pack. Its cost is greatly affected by its quality, so for a quality spice you should be prepared to pay more.

By the pound, saffron has the highest price on the market. As more than 150,000 flowers are necessary to produce a kg, the cost of saffron would start at around $550 (≈4.6 days working without days off at $15/hour) and go up to $4,800 (≈1.8 months of your working life at $15/hour) per pound.

The cost of saffron is anywhere between $20 and $30 (≈2 hours of labor required at $15/hour) for a small 0.06-ounce unit you can find at most grocery stores. For example, McCormick sells a Spanish saffron that costs anywhere between $15 and $28 (≈1.9 hours of continuous work at a $15/hour job) for a 0.06-ounce unit.

According to CNN Money, saffron is the world’s most expensive spice, having a price of $1,000 (≈1.7 weeks working every single day at $15/hour) or even more.

Also, according to the UCC.edu website, the retail price of saffron spice may be as high as $5,010 (≈1.9 months of non-stop employment at $15/hour) per pound or $320 (≈2.7 days working to pay for this at $15/hour) per ounce.

Why is saffron so expensive?

Saffron is a middle eastern spice, that has been cultivated for thousands of years.

Saffron is grown especially in Iran, Greece, and Spain, and the best type of saffron actually originates from Greece, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years. Since the Cretan civilization, the saffron crocus was considered the plant of fertility and knowledge.

Some historical sources say that the Cretan priestesses tried to keep the crocus a secret, but it was discovered and Iran, India, and China began to produce more than Greece.

You might also like our articles on the cost of basil, garlic, and the most expensive foods in the world.

Saffron may have different colors: from orange to red filaments, and in Greek mythology, it was said that it is the embodiment of the goddess of the dawn, due to its special colors.

The premium quality aroma of saffron is often described by connoisseurs as reminiscent of honey with grassy or hay-like notes. It has a bright yellow-orange color that immediately colors dishes.

The expensive saffron is available as whole threads or in powder form. The saffron threads retain their flavor better and it is much easier to appreciate the quality of the spice in this form.

The reason saffron is so expensive is that about 0.006 grams of saffron are harvested from every plant, and one kilogram of saffron consists of 450,000 flower strands.

The three long red stamens are carefully extracted from the purple flower. No machine in the world can be so delicate that it can harvest these thin pistils. It takes 40 hours of manual labor to produce one kilo of quality saffron.

Iran is the country that covers over 90 percent of the world's saffron production. From each flower, the whole part is extracted from the dark red tip to the yellow base. This means that 1 kilo of saffron could consist of 450,000 strands, and to get so much, it takes 150,000 flowers.

After harvesting a single acre with saffron, 1.8 kilograms of spice are obtained. By comparison, on the same area of cultivated land, you get 600 kg of cumin and 350 kg of nutmeg.

Even if a lot of work is required for such a crop, the demand for the production of saffron is growing, which makes more than 200 tons of saffron harvested worldwide every year from about 30 billion plants.

Real saffron price per kg

Unlike counterfeit saffron, pure saffron can cost over $ 10,000 (≈3.8 months working without a break on a $15/hour salary) a kilogram, according to Businessinsider. Used for thousands of years as medicine, spice and dye, a single gram of saffron is obtained from about 150 flowers.

How to grow saffron?

For saffron farming, you first need Crocus sativus bulbs and a piece of land with clay or siliceous soil. For instance, you can find bulbs on Amazon.com, at the cost of around $1 each. Also, reputable online nurseries sell Crocus bulbs.

The climatic conditions specific to the chosen area are also very important; saffron is a heat-loving plant, which does not tolerate the cold and excessive humidity that can cause the phenomenon of bulb rot.

Instead, you must pay special attention to irrigation, and in case there are drier periods, like drought, ensure the culture gets the necessary water.

In the clayey or siliceous soil, small ditches are dug at a depth of 10 cm. The distance between the rows must be 15 cm, while the distance between the bulbs must be relatively large. Also, before digging the rows, make sure the soil is moist; in this way, the roots will take hold faster and better.

The best time to plant bulbs is autumn, more precisely mid-August, to the end of September. The flowers to produce the spice bloom only once a year and only for a short time (approximately 2 weeks), their harvest one being between mid-October and the beginning of November. Since they are frail and wither quickly, they are picked before sunrise, in the early hours of the morning.

After picking the flowers, the manual extraction of the stigmas (the saffron threads) follows, each one having 3 such stamens. Due to their water content, they are later dried in the oven or even in the sun, resulting in the final form of the single most expensive spice.

How is saffron stored?

Saffron must be kept away from light and extreme temperatures, well-closed, preferably in a glass container.

Important things to consider

The International Organization for Standardization imposes the parameters that measure the intensity of the pigment of saffron filaments: the more intense, the more valuable. The value scale is worth taking into account, especially when the methods of forgery are so vast.

Saffron consists of the three pistils of the crocus, each 2.5-4 cm long. They have an intense reddish-orange color, which is uniform in saffron of the highest quality. Saffron with white stripes or discolored spots is of inferior quality, and when white threads appear in the powder, this is a sign of counterfeiting.

To know if the saffron is genuine, you can dip a small piece in warm water or milk. If the liquid changes color immediately, it is a fake. Genuine saffron takes about 10 to 15 minutes of soaking time before it colors the water.

Since saffron's flavor is only released when it's heated, but it shouldn't be heated too much, here is a handy tip to help you get the most flavor out of this precious product: Grind the saffron in a mortar and pestle or between your fingers and soak them in a little water or milk. This saffron reduction can be used to add flavor to the dish when it is almost ready.

The therapeutic properties of saffron

In addition to the special taste it gives to dishes when used in different recipes, saffron also has certain therapeutic properties, among which:

• Protects vision and prevents blindness in old age;
• It has anti-cancer properties;
• It has a tonic effect on the heart;
• Lowers cholesterol;
• It helps in case of depression;
• It stimulates digestion;
• It is an aphrodisiac;
• Hangover cure.

It should also be mentioned that saffron should be avoided by pregnant people because it can cause abortion. In addition, the consumption of more than two grams of saffron per day is not indicated!

How can I save money?

It is highly recommended to purchase saffron exports in bulk if you know that you are cooking a lot, to take advantage of wholesale prices. The more you buy at once from a supplier, the more you can save.

The reason why saffron is cheaper in some instances is because its quality is also lower.

According to the SeriousEats.com website, saffron that costs only a few dollars per ounce is of poor quality. They say that the best choice is Spanish and Iranian saffron.

Take into consideration purchasing other alternativs such as safflower, annatto seeds, turmeric, and marigold blossoms. All of these have a similar taste and come at a fraction of the cost.