Saffron

Saffron (/ˈsæfrən, -rɒn/)^[1] is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent in food. The saffron crocus was slowly propagated throughout much of Eurasia and was later brought to parts of North Africa, North America, and Oceania.

Saffron's taste and iodoform-like or hay-like fragrance result from the phytochemicals picrocrocin and safranal.^[2][3] It also contains a carotenoid pigment, crocin, which imparts a rich golden-yellow hue to dishes and textiles. Its quality is graded by the proportion of red stigma to yellow style, varying by region and affecting both potency and value. As of 2024, Iran produced some 90% of the world total for saffron.^[4][5][6] At US$5,000 per kg or higher, saffron has long been the world's costliest spice by weight.^[7][8][9]

The English word saffron likely originates from the Old French safran, which traces back through Latin and Persian to the word zarparān, meaning “gold strung.” It is a sterile, human-propagated, autumn-flowering plant descended from wild relatives in the eastern Mediterranean, cultivated for its fragrant purple flowers and valuable red stigmas in sunny, temperate climates. Saffron is primarily used as a culinary spice and natural colourant, with additional historical uses in traditional medicine, dyeing, perfumery, and religious rituals.

Saffron likely originated in or near Greece, Iran, or Mesopotamia. It has been cultivated and traded for over 3,500 years across Eurasia, spreading through Asia via cultural exchange and conquest. Its recorded history is attested in a 7th-century BC Assyrian botanical treatise.^[10]