Welcome to khoshbin Group, your saffron supplier.
Whether you are looking for high-quality saffron or a way to tell original saffron from a fake one or to increase your knowledge of the “Red Gold”, you have come to the right place.
Keep reading!
What is saffron?
Saffron (the Red Gold) is the crimson, thread-like structures (called stigma and styles) of a plant known as Saffron Crocus. Crimson means “a rich deep red color”, and it is this rich deep red color and a labor-intensive harvesting method that has made saffron the most expensive spice (by weight) in the world.
How is saffron produced?
Every year in the fall (autumn), saffron growers get to their farms to pluck stigmas from the flowers of Saffron Crocus. Each plant produces 3 stigmas, and it takes nearly 15,000 to 16,000 flowers to produce 1 kilogram of this expensive spice, which requires at least 370 to 470 man-hour work.
Who Produces the Most Saffron?
Iran is by far the first and largest producer of saffron in the world, accounting for over 90% (430 tons in 2019) of the global production.
Types of Saffron
There are three major types of saffron based on their structure and coloring strength:
- N (Negin):
Category 1 in ISO 3632 classification; long, unbroken stigma only; ironed flat; prime quality (coloring strength 260- 280); all-red
- S (Sargol):
Category 1 in ISO 3632 classification; upper tips of stigma, top quality (coloring strength 230- 250), all-red
- Pushal:
Category 2 in ISO 3632 classification; red stigmas plus some yellow style (coloring strength 210-230)
Negin is the most expensive type of saffron as it requires much more preparation work than Sargol or Pushal types. Its physical structure and color quality are unrivaled.
Khishbin Group is the supplier and producer of 100% pure, non-GMO Pushal, Negin, and Sargol saffron.
Uses of saffron
- Rice with saffron
- Saffron tea
- Saffron powder
- Saffron oil
- Saffron ice cream
- Saffron chicken
- Saffron pills
- Saffron sauce
- Saffron for bakery
- Borage with saffron
- Saffron and milk for face
- Saffron extract
How to Identify Real Saffron
Here are 4 tips that may help you differentiate real saffron from fake saffron;
Taste and smell:
Dried stigmas (Saffron threads) are distinguishable by their bitter taste, hay-like fragrance, and slight metallic notes.
Appearance:
Red saffron threads are trumpet-shaped and are bulged at one end. If you rub them between your fingers, your finger’s skin will turn yellow.
Time for color release in water:
Put saffron threads in a container of slightly warm (tepid) water. Wait for 15 minutes. Real saffron starts slowly to turn the water yellow. This may take 1 hour. Fake saffron changes the water’s color very quickly or may not change it at all.
The real threads themselves remain red. If the threads themselves lose their color, your saffron is fake.
Price:
Real saffron is expensive. If it is not, it is perhaps fake.
Saffron Recipes Gallery
View Saffron Products
Quality Control (QC) Policy for Saffron
The production process is strictly controlled at several checkpoints:
The First Step:
The first step of quality control (QC) begins before production. We perform an annual analysis of the farms and farmers in the region by taking samples of the saffron fields. We use a ranking system to grade the samples and find the best farms as well as the farmers. Their profiles are kept in our archives and base our objective judgment of the farms.
The knowledge-based screening process helps us to have access to the best crops in the region in terms of the physical characteristics (such as shape, flavor, and color) of saffron flowers. Accordingly, our source materials are chosen from the best crops that stand at the top of our ranking system.
The Second Step:
The second quality control is during production when selected source materials are transferred to the factory to be visually inspected for any signs of physical damage.
The Third Stage:
The third stage of quality control (QC) takes place after production. Ready-to-use saffron is cleanly packaged after sorting. The quality control continues as we pack the final products before leaving the factory.
