Understanding Saffron Grades: From Standard to Premium Quality

Table of Contents

1. The Crimson Puzzle: What Exactly Is Saffron, Anyway?
   • Beyond the Tiny Threads: Where it Comes From and What We Really Eat
2. Grading 101: A Not-So-Official Overview
   • The Big 3: Color, Aroma, and Crocin. Wait… What’s Crocin
3. The IS0 Standards: Navigating the Official (And Seriously Complex) World
   • ISO 3632-1 Explained… in my language!
   • Class I Saffron: The “Good Stuff” We (Should) All Aspire To
   • Class II Saffron: Middle Ground? Or just, ok?

• Class III Saffron: Bargain Bin – or Big Mistake?

1. Beyond ISO: The Not-So-Standard Grading Systems (aka chaos)
   • The World of “All Red” Saffron – Worth It? or just marketing scam?
   • “Sargol”, “Pushal,” “Bunch”: Getting Lost In the Naming Convention
2. A Real Life Adventure In Saffron Quality: my shopping trips

• Supermarket Saffron Vs Online Artisanal sellers – What did my tounge felt?

1. Saffron’s “Dirty” Secret: The Shady Stuff
   • Fake Saffron Alert: Red Flags & Sneaky Strategies

• How Not to Get Ripped off 101 (aka, what i learned after getting burned)

1. How to make a (kinda) professional saffron choices: What you should be aiming for?
   • Beyond Grades: Understanding Harvest, Storage, & Usage
   • Finding your Flavor : What level is right for your cooking needs
2. Final thoughts – my Saffron Journey : where do I stand after this whole “ordeal”
   • So many grades… Am I even good for using saffron now?

The Crimson Puzzle: What Exactly Is Saffron, Anyway?

Okay so, for real. Before we start talking about quality grades or whatever we first gotta really be clear about exactly, you know, what IS IT. Because its kind of crazy when you start to think about it. Everyone just goes to the store or something, like, buys this jar. boom. you got saffron! No way, man… No way. You see that little threads in this jar? like the super intense, deep red stuff? ok. They are the stigmas. and just for your information, i’ve just discovered, it is literally the flower’s vagina.
(Ok, my face kinda turns red after i wrote that but no judgment allowed ok?). Anyway, yeah those three lil red thread looking things inside the crocus sativus flower are the gold, the expensive goods, the whole point of this weird trip into grades and types. So, now that we passed anatomy 101, can I move to where these crazy threads grow up in earth?

Beyond the Tiny Threads: Where it Comes From and What We Really Eat

You see these lil guys come mostly from the middle east countries , the hot ones like iran or spain.. It needs special kinds of weather conditions. Like a kinda sunny days and stuff . The workers has to carefully pick these fragile stigmas by hand. You know why it’s so expensive now, right? imagine to pluck these threads one by one! that alone can get you mental for real. After that they like go drying those treads and boom – You have your jar or pouch for sale. They like the gold, right? And we spend on it? The amount of labor here man! I think thats the place we should give credit, instead the quality. well no, maybe also the quality haha. But it gets complicated with how much hand picking happens to all the process. we will see…

Buy High-Quality Saffron. Enjoy 75% OFF - Limited Time Offer

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

$80 / 8g - Purchase Now

• Only 2 units left on our site

$90 / 12g - Purchase Now

• Only 4 units left on our site

$260 / 28g - Purchase Now

• Only 5 units left on our site

$340 / 60g - Purchase Now

• Only 6 units left on our site

$480 / 120g - Purchase Now

• Only 1 units left on our site

$650 / 180g - Purchase Now

• Only 3 units left on our site

Grading 101: A Not-So-Official Overview

Okay, here’s where things start to get interesting (and a little complicated). I’m a little ADHD so we try make some sense here… but there isn’t simple rule and so on!

Grading saffron? Its not like saying “oh i am at A level stuff here”, like there is an “Official Stuff” with a system, but then.. not everyone care or not everyone have this, the stuff we saw in stores are usually “not that official system”. SO that said lets start by some general rulez: You got basically three main dudes running this grading party and its COLOR, SMELL & what-was-it? Crocin! We can agree now these tree have each special and important jobs

*The Big 3: Color, Aroma, and Crocin. Wait… What’s Crocin?

Okay so Color- for color, think of the shades of red! Like those fire-truck-red stuff – good and deep shades. It like means it is gonna make ur food that glowy yellowish type you see on instagram photos. then-Aroma – The smell should have a lil hint of sweetness with some deep stuff at the back . It means the flowers were fresh or dried right! (i’ll learn soon!) then-Crocin: okay crocin , now we gonna do chemistry , okay a quick tour: It like is the main pigment that give the colors. You remember we need those colors?? And yeah… they use “labs” to see that “Crocin” percentage in saffron samples.. I feel kinda intimidated when reading stuff like that on fancy webpages.
But yeah so these three things- color, aroma and that thing i barely pronounced right – “crocin,” – tell a story about saffron and helps it get to the proper level on their grading system .

The ISO Standards: Navigating the Official (And Seriously Complex) World

Okay. Time to delve into the ISO – it sounds important and it does. ISo system its what most companies uses . These are International Standards Organization, ok?! Basically what all people from “Official stuff” and fancy saffron seller like to use when doing grade. it gives a score to each saffron, and then you buy.. what number on each quality you gonna chose! Ok?? Sooo here’s where it goes kinda science fiction for me but I try to make it sound fun :
So this Iso have numbers- 3632! what do we gonna do now??.

ISO 3632-1 Explained… in my language!

okay so… the system IS “ISO 3632-1”, yeah! This ISO standards have what it call 3 “class”, lets look into those : each of those “classes” mean something about quality of these treads – they grade saffron with an a spectrometer (yup another super fancy lab tool – sorry).

• Class I Saffron: The “Good Stuff” We (Should) All Aspire To
  Soooo we are start with class 1 – it got more than “200” unit for that thing we called “crocin” so it mean high coloring strength that you need. Its has the high amount of what they want – that red hue to it, a deep smell that can give you deep culinary experience. Its kind of like that A+++ stuff they want and you will mostly seen in gourmet kitchens or food blogger reels with big brights yellow foods. These, class 1 dudes are normally the most expensive one you can found, as you could have guess by now.
• Class II Saffron: Middle Ground? Or just, ok?

Moving down to class 2 we enter that range between “170” to “200”. Which mean still color-y and yummy , but you will see its kinda not the “fire engine” of color that the previous had. Ok, its can also give you that aroma that the previous class had but for “middle way”. It kind of mean still good and all, its ok… But! its will be way cheapper! which make it super common to be what sold online or in stores

• Class III Saffron: Bargain Bin – or Big Mistake?
  okay its get interesting… “Class 3” will give less than 170 on that magic-thing , Crocin”!. it mean way less vibrant coloring than the class 1, more muted smell to it, its mean you should need more to actually get the same color output as a previous class! You can think of Class 3 for like the “bargain-bin stuff” the low class quality that no one is paying high dollar. These you probably find on local small markets , but it doesn’t mean its fake!! it means, if you ok with getting less strong smell/color with using more than it good . If you use Saffron everyday cooking- probably “Class 3” gonna do the trick – if money tight, at least
  But that is how that super lab people grade with those machines and numbers.

Beyond ISO: The Not-So-Standard Grading Systems (aka chaos)

But then you open a web or two , trying to understand it a bit deeper and BOOM- what you see? Another system! another crazy terms like, ‘All Red, Sargol, etc….What was all that talking with numbers from that iso stuff we just did before?!? Ugh…
Now i am super confussed- this kind of made me rethink again all of this quality-level type deal

The World of “All Red” Saffron – Worth It? or just marketing scam?

okay “all-red”. so there are those crazy online selling telling the buyer- hey its all-red threads you getting! You gotta check “All red” its more marketing stuff for buyers in most cases. All red does not mean Class 1!. When doing iso its include yellow stuff as class- when getting “all red”, it actually more specific! It only get all stigmas (which is good, since those have those precious “crocin” color that we love). “all-red” mostly it comes with good high coloring stuff so.. for my shopping it could be some good quality flag. But you shouldnt mistake this flag, “all-red” , with ISO numbers we already learned before

• “Sargol”, “Pushal,” “Bunch”: Getting Lost In the Naming Convention

“Sargol, “Pushal” “Bunch”??? Where we now guys?. Okay- Its those “cuting parts of saffron thread, so its depends where is that thread is placed in the stigma
“Sargol”? its “all-red” type too.. its means a cut that only the stigma red part will use – and all other parts (including that tiny white style thread is discarded)- that can be ok to look when you know about quality. But not necessery make them better if you take iso point view. it may not always fit into the official grades. “pushal” is where you pick a red part, but the very end where the stem is , (that part we know by now isnt what giving coloring power and you wont find no real iso-thing grading on this either. They look prettier when looking into the bag). and at “bunch”, it gets the most “full” look , with the stigma and the thread thing and a tiny part of a little white-ish part as well and also like “the prettiest when presenting stuff in a pretty bag on an image.” again… non of this term gives good ISO info. So….its kind a more complicated than you tough to look at..

A Real Life Adventure In Saffron Quality: my shopping trips

So, after like days doing all of those readings and stuffs , i think that ok it may work now- its kinda like when doing food recipy online with those youtube stars , when at the time cooking- you are sooooo bad!! ok… lets start. my journey has begun

• Supermarket Saffron Vs Online Artisanal sellers – What did my tounge felt?

Okay so , to give you real real feedback: I start with “a basic stuff, with a basic price on my nearby superstore”. what a disappointment! That Saffron kinda looked tired. It was class 3 on iso! its didnt do a proper glow, the color is bad- it smell? meh. And i used more of it. then next up! those fancy pants sites- with “all-red” labels- yup i got two for comparisson!
And when the post man comes i just ripped open those bag so quick! it was so vibrant and smelly, what was going to happen! i try a few on my tongue! boom! so flavorful with just one string . It looked kinda too good to be true.. then? i decided to cook paella for my family that sunday! (super ambitious I KNOW!). And here you see it was really worth the dollar for “high-class”! ohh boy – i finally had that bright yellow that they do! the smell?! AMAZING!!! like its makes the most subtle thing. Its changed EVERYTHING!
The color difference between class 3 and class 1 (even a simple “all red” saffron), was just.. astonishing. I was amazed! So yeah after few meals more my tongue is agree… when your doing super high level food you need this level! simple as that!. but…there is another side of the story…

Saffron’s “Dirty” Secret: The Shady Stuff

You know things will start easy.. but NO. Its not so shiny in every store with this precious little treat, sadly. Now we entering something sad here so i try not be grumpy here,

Fake Saffron Alert: Red Flags & Sneaky Strategies

So after i was sooo obsessed with getting “the best of the best quality for my meal”, then the bad side hits. Fake saffron?! man… seriously? Yup- a lot of faking going with food stuff lately so Saffron didnt come short on the trend… things they do is using dyed corn threads and some other things.. its super depressing when they get greedy. it happens a lot of the lower graded type too but its a general problem that everyone needs to be awere

• How Not to Get Ripped off 101 (aka, what i learned after getting burned)
  Now we enter real experience of yours truly . (okay i can feel that old granny voice in me, you all good). Now for real…how i know?? ok first time buying i get a small package of these little things… ok now when i try i get it kinda tasted kinda bitter! the colors looked muted… okay something off, when the color didn’t really changed too much when soaking. It was kind of suspicious. So I was cheated- lesson learnt ok. Second time doing this trip ( yes this is addicting!!) after researching even further on this i realized : if too good to be true with the price (lower or way much lower than usual) it probably will! Soooo i can sum what I’ve learnt to avoid getting “robbed”: If that package looks more yellowish , less bright deep-red; then watch out! then if too “bright” on coloring, like those youtuber with perfect food , if it almost glitters– it will probably get dyed! Then about price… when those cheap saffron are kinda the average price stuff then watch out because those fake might come with good prices just for not raising suspisions and for the price.. be open for high numbers man! High good quality have high price ALWAYS!! now. i try to see some ISO markings. But then, if its comes with those confusing word on marketing that “we saw before, remember? ‘Sargol’”or all red? ok now we are going into grey zone when not all good means perfect on “Official grade” ok, try not fall with “slogan traps!” If those vendors offer very high discounts, thats your biggest alarm for me!.

How to make a (kinda) professional saffron choices: What you should be aiming for?

I was ready with “this time, i get you!!” mindest – ok . But… if was a real job interview – am i qualified yet to choose this “spices grading?”… So to be clear on things and give some more direction, let see

Beyond Grades: Understanding Harvest, Storage, & Usage

It’s just about grading – all of those hard learnings lead me to that. Its about that process before the selling and after the selling and how I can make it into cooking magic! how well the saffron it was taken? how was that all red saffron thread cut? Did that seller was keeping these jar with sun? nooo!. Storage. These precious threads love dark cool area. if not the scent might change. Then my method… if use like pinch more or do it small… i started really to dive on to the little things… And when use – well after few burned rice i started do with a small bath soaking them on a bit of water then used! and then i got the good thing started with color! Then for usage… now.. ohh we are in other world i’ve discovered haha

• Finding your Flavor : What level is right for your cooking needs
  When asking all these kind of things – do you know how I changed myself? like at beginning it was: “Give the highest color, and most vivid”. And then after this crazy journey : its more like… “Ok i do small amount but at highest level for this fancy dishes… and more for regular meals from other, still ok, iso-standard grades.. ” it seems more balance now. My whole idea and whole experience completely changed from those first days of not knowing where it came and how to choose. So for each case for each type of meals- i now got some levels- not on just marketing! And more important- I am finally learning how to use it with out spoiling the precious thing – haha

Final thoughts – my Saffron Journey : where do I stand after this whole “ordeal”

Okay…I think its all now for the knowledge bombs right?. If someone in those old instagram chats said they’d get the top best graded quality saffron threads, yeah probably i get it what that person meant now, because its a long long run on understanding… for real! and after the burned meals i can now be “saffron master” – a little bit at least.

• So many grades… Am I even good for using saffron now?

Sooo what is your own “personal experience with this gold stuff?! after seeing those iso classes i felt even more pressured… when there is high grade..and people like “know” all the grades – I was questioning everything ! I kinda felt intimidated for “saffron knowledge’!! And that is ridiculous… If your trying all the best out of this spice on “all grades” its fine. There isn’t like some hard test with Saffron Police out there!! you are going all right no worries. The “high grades” are just.. for certain times- or more experienced type. No problem with less. The end- you, and just your tastes, makes the last call on grading things out with all saffron qualities.