Iran is producer of 80% of the World’s saffron supply and has since ancient history been the central point of the cultivation of the “crocus sativus” saffron crocus flower from which this unique and highly valuable spice comes from, it has such a value it is said to be the red gold of Iran. Its price is due to scarcity and also due to the fact that it takes 150,000 flowers to yield just 1 Kilogram of dried saffron. Most of the flower is disguarded and only the 3 filaments are taken from the flower which are red at the tip, orange in the middle and yellow at the base eventually becoming white. The maximum concentration of active naturally present compounds are in the red tips of the saffron spice filament and this cut is called Sargol giving you all red top 3mm of the saffron filament which is the most powerful for flavour and for colour power.

The uses include medicine, dyeing fabrics, cosmetics, cookery and aromatherapy. The most common use of saffron spice is in cookery and it is enjoyed by hundreds of millions of peoples of the globe daily especially across India and Asia where it is used to spice a wide variety of dishes. It also is a well noted cooking addition in countries like Morocco, Spain and Italy. Spain is a producer of saffron notably in the Mancha region of Southern Spain where the finest quality saffron in the Spanish country originates. Many debate the attributes of Spanish saffron versus Iranian saffron, however most chefs globally prefer Iranian for its higher strength and flavour, however as with all such things it really is a matter of personal choice and I am sure to say many Spanish chefs will use Spanish saffrons to spice their paellas with. Visit a UK spice shop selling Spanish and Iranian spices.