Saffron, Saffron Crocus
Crocus sativus

Family: Iridaceae

What it is like

A corm with grass-like leaves. It keeps growing from year to year. Under the ground it has bulb like corms. It grows 15-23 cm high. The leaves are long and grey-green like the leaves of chives. The flowers are small and mauve. The lily like flowers have stigmas which are bright orange. Each flower has 3 stigmas that are connected to the base of the flower by a fine pale thread. The flower stalks are leafless and the flower stalks occur singly. The dried stigmas are 10-18 mm long and dark red and thin. They are needle like at one end and trumpet shaped at the other.

There are about 80 Crocus species. It is a sterile triploid plant. It is mentioned in the Bible. Song of Songs 4:14. It has anticancer properties.

Where it is found

A temperate plant. They require sun and good drainage. It needs a pH of 7. It is best in a good sandy loam. It is resistant to frost and drought. It suits hardiness zones 6-8. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Algeria, Andorra, Asia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Caucasus, China, Egypt, Europe, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Himalayas, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mediterranean, Middle East, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, North Africa, North America, Pakistan, Palestine, SE Asia, Slovenia, South America, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, West Africa

How it is used for food

CAUTION: It is important to dry the flowers well before using for flavouring. Saffron is poisonous. A safe dose should not exceed 1 g per day. The stigmas or parts of the flower that catch pollen are used as a spice. They are used to colour and flavour sauces, creams, biscuits, preserves, liqueurs, curries, rice dishes, and other foods. The roots are eaten roasted. The leaves are used as a flavouring.

It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Root, corm, herb, spice, pollen, leaves, flowers

How it is grown

It is grown from vegetative parts. Being a triploid plant it is sterile. Plant 3-15 cm deep and 10 cm apart. It won't flower in areas with wet cloudy summers.

The flowers are picked and the threadlike stamens removed. The flowers are then dried before using. Over 5,000 stigmas (1,700 flowers) are needed to give 25 g of dried saffron. (Or 200,000 flowers for a kg of saffron)

Its other names

Local names

Fan-hung-hua, Gon-ga-man, Jafran, Kesar, Kesara, Kesari, Keshar, Keshara, Koma-koma, Kong, Kungumapu, Kunkumakesari, Kunkumapuvu, Pravi žafran, Saffraan, Za'faran, Zafferano, Zaffran, Zafran, Zaprana

Synonyms

Crocus officinalis (L.) Honck.; Crocus orsinii Parl.; Crocus pendulus Stokes; Crocus sativus var. cashmirianus Royle; Crocus sativus var. officinalis L.; Crocus sativus var. orsinii (Parl.) Maw.; Crocus sativus subsp. orsinii (Parl.) K. Richt.; Crocus setifolius Stokes; Geanthus autumnalis Raf.; Safran officinarum Medik.;