SAFFRON
Saffron is one of the highly prized spices known since antiquity for its color, flavor and medicinal properties. It is the dried "stigma" or threads of the flower of the Crocus sativus plant. It is a bulbous perennial plant that belongs to the family of Iridaceae, in the genus, Crocus, and known botanically as Crocus sativus. This exotic spice is cultivated worldwide in many countries, particularly in Iran, France, Turkey, Italy, Greece and in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Different types of saffron
Saffron is usually classified into different types as follow in Iran Markets:
Negin Saffron
This type of saffron is like sargol type just it is a little bit longer than that.
Sargol Saffron (All red filament)
This filament type, usually obtained from "Bunched saffron” and "Pushal Saffron" which has no style & pollen and just consist of red parts of stigma with a high power of coloring and aroma.
Poushal Saffron
This type has obtained at the beginning of harvest a little longer than red parts of stigma that is usually in the form of triple filament. The color of the end part becomes pale red and orange that is in the size of 3 to 5 mm after the existing joint among the 3 filaments. "Poushal” means massive for its volume resulted from the time and method of harvesting. "Poushal” has the same power of coloring and aroma as “All red filaments” type and it usually use for fantasy and luxury packing.
White Saffron
This type consists of the white and pale parts of the stigma, having high aroma but low color strength with a length of 5 to 15 mm, is used as an aromatic substance for foods and so on.
Bunched Saffron (Dasteh Pich Saffron)
The all red and white parts of the stigma bunched and formed by a piece of thread is "bunch” type.