Saffron
Saffron is the dried stigma of the Crocus sativus flower, the world's most expensive spice by weight, prized for the golden color, floral aroma, and subtle flavor it lends to rice, broths, and desserts.
How to buy
Buy whole threads rather than powder to avoid adulteration, since ground saffron is often cut with turmeric or safflower. Look for deep red threads with little to no yellow styles mixed in, and buy from a reputable spice source, since fraud is common; a high price is simply the reality of a labor-intensive, hand-harvested spice.
How to store
Keep it airtight and away from light in a cool, dark pantry. Whole threads hold their potency for 2 to 3 years, though flavor and aroma fade slowly over that time. Avoid humidity, which can encourage mold.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Subtly sweet, floral, and faintly earthy with a delicate bitterness. A little goes a long way, and using too much turns a dish medicinal rather than fragrant.
- Texture
- Dry, thread-like strands that soften and release their color and flavor fully once steeped in warm liquid.
- Aroma
- A distinct honeyed, floral, slightly metallic aroma unlike any other spice, which blooms fully when the threads are steeped in warm water or milk.
How to prepare
- Steeped in warm liquid — Soaked in warm water, milk, or broth to extract color and flavor before being added to a dish.
- Toasted briefly — Lightly warmed in a dry pan to intensify aroma before steeping.
- Ground with a mortar — Crushed to a fine powder for more even distribution through rice or sauces.
- Infused into rice — Added to the cooking liquid so the grains absorb its color and flavor as they cook.
Classic dishes
Italian
- Risotto alla milanese — A creamy risotto turned golden and fragrant with a generous infusion of saffron.
- Zuppa di pesce — A mixed seafood stew whose broth often carries a touch of saffron.
Indian
- Biryani — A layered rice dish where saffron-soaked milk is drizzled over the rice before steaming.
- Zaafrani pulao — A fragrant saffron rice pilaf often served at celebrations.
- Kesar kulfi — A dense, frozen dairy dessert flavored with saffron and cardamom.
- Sheer khurma — A vermicelli and milk dessert enriched with saffron, dates, and nuts.
- Saffron lassi — A yogurt drink tinted and flavored with a pinch of saffron.
French
- Bouillabaisse — A Provençal fish stew colored and perfumed with saffron.
- Rouille — A garlicky, saffron-tinted sauce served alongside bouillabaisse.
Mediterranean
- Saffron chicken stew — A braised chicken dish brightened and colored with a generous pinch of saffron.
Spanish
- Paella — A saffron-infused rice dish studded with seafood, chicken, or vegetables.
- Arroz con azafrán — A simple saffron rice served as a side dish throughout Spain.
- Saffron shrimp fideuà — A noodle-based cousin of paella, colored and flavored with saffron.
Middle Eastern
- Saffron rice — Steamed rice colored golden with saffron, often layered with a crisp bottom crust.
- Saffron-spiced lamb tagine — Slow-braised lamb flavored with saffron, dried fruit, and warm spices.
British & Irish
- Cornish saffron buns — Enriched, fruited buns colored and flavored with saffron, a Cornwall specialty.