Saffron and spice economics: do you get what you pay for?

I've confronted a handful of recipes in the past year that called for a good pinch of saffron, which I've never stocked in my cupboard. Every time I go to my local market(s) to pick some up, I look at the price, shudder, and go into a fugue state. Needless to say, I don't end up with any saffron in my cart. I know it's expensive and I know there's reason for it, but crimeny...

The Sun-Times did a recent blurb on saffron that suggested that an oz. of the spice can be found on Devon for 1/3 of the cost at other outlets (approx 20 vs. 60 bucks).

I suppose I could do a gram vs. gram comparison, but I imagine some of you have already done so. Anybody have any experience with Indian vs. Spanish saffron?

I seem to recall hearing once that "Indian Saffron" is turmeric. Although at $20/oz it seems unlikely that I'm recalling correctly.

The saffron from the spice house is expensive, but it is quite, quite nice.

My best suggestion for getting saffron, though, is to go to Morocco or Spain. My mom went there a few years ago and bought an ounce for some unbelievably low price. I'm sure she'll chime in with details.

-ed

I succumbed to the "same but cheaper" pitch and regret it. I use saffron mainly in risotto alla milanese, and the cheap Indian stuff is clearly different from and inferior to the Spanish stuff. The cheap stuff has got much more yellow thread in it and doesn't produce the color or flavor I'm looking for. Alternatively, the Kashmir Mogra from Penzey's is pretty spectacular, but even pricier than 100% Spanish red. I've gone back to paying retail for saffron.

Penzeys offers several grades of saffron-starting with their best: Kashmir "mogra cream," then, Spanish Coupe' , and Spanish Superior.

gleam wrote:I seem to recall hearing once that "Indian Saffron" is turmeric. Although at $20/oz it seems unlikely that I'm recalling correctly.

some indians will use turmeric to mimic ,so maybe that is the basis of what you hear, but in no way is indian saffron different than that from other areas. Kashmir especially is noted for its saffron production

if you really want a saffron deal, I'm pretty sure that Tilda brand basmati is still offering a little container of saffron (the real stuff) in its 10 kg bags of basmati

Hi,
Last year I was browsing in Whole Foods and spotted a small jar of saffron on the top shelf. The price seemed so reasonable, I asked an employee to confirm. My recollection is that it was about $6 or so for approx 2 tsp. (.0353 oz.). The brand is Mancha-Ora, imported from Barcelona. The bottle itself is beautiful: closed with a cork, tied with gold cord and sealed with red wax. I had never purchased or cooked with saffron before, so I can't say how it compares.
Peggy

chef d'sprit wrote:Hi,
Last year I was browsing in Whole Foods and spotted a small jar of saffron on the top shelf. The price seemed so reasonable, I asked an employee to confirm. My recollection is that it was about $6 or so for approx 2 tsp. (.0353 oz.).

That's 1 gram, and that price is pretty normal. The "basic" saffron at the spice house is $6/gram or $60/oz (which is a big difference, it would be $170 if you bought it all in one-gram increments). They also have "coupe" grade, which is $8/gram -- no details on oz pricing.

For what it's worth, penzey's charges $6.50/gram of normal spanish saffron and $8 for a gram of "coupe" grade. However, they mark up the ounce packages MUCH more -- a quarter-ounce package of the basic saffron is $33.95, nearly twice as much per ounce as the spice house.

Thanks zim for the correction on indian saffron. Very good to know.

I'm probably guilty of trying to oversimplify the decision. It sounds like there are gradations of quality between and within countries of origin (Spain vs. India vs. other).

Gleam, thanks for the pricing breakdown.

FYI -- Here are some interesting excerpts from Cook's Thesaurus (www.foodsubs.com):

***
ground turmeric = powdered turmeric = Indian saffron = eastern saffron. Pronunciation: TURR-mer-ick Notes: Turmeric has a pleasant enough flavor, but it's prized more for the brilliant yellow color it imparts to whatever it's cooked with. It's a standard ingredient in curry powders, pickles, and prepared mustards. Be careful--turmeric can stain your clothes. Substitutes: turmeric (1 piece fresh turmeric = 1 teaspoon ground turmeric) OR mustard powder OR mustard powder + pinch of saffron

***
saffron Equivalents: 1 teaspoon threads = 1/8 teaspoon powder Notes: To make a pound of saffron, over two hundred thousand stigmas from crocus sativus flowers must be harvested by hand. That's why saffron is the world's most expensive spice, and also why so there are so many fakes on the market. Fortunately, a little of the good stuff goes a long way--it only takes a few threads to add saffron's distinct yellow color and earthy aroma to a family meal of paella or bouillabaisse. You can buy saffron either as as unprocessed stigmas (called saffron threads) or powdered. The threads should be red with orange tips. Threads lacking orange tips may be dyed, so avoid them. The quality of powdered saffron is measured by its Minimum Coloring Strength. The higher the Minimum Coloring Strength, the less saffron you need to use. A typical level is 180, and a level of 220 or higher is quite good. Some cooks prefer the threads to the powder, since it's hard to detect if the powder has been adulterated. Powdered saffron, though, is easier to use, since it can be added directly to a dish, while the threads need to be steeped in hot water first. Substitutes: turmeric (for color, not flavor; use 4 times as much) OR safflower (use 8 times as much; less expensive and imparts similar color, but taste is decidedly inferior) OR marigold blossoms (for color, not flavor; use twice as much) OR annatto seeds (Steep 1 teaspoon annatto seeds in 1/4 cup of boiling water for 30 minutes, discard seeds. Reduce liquid in recipe by 1/4 cup.) OR red and yellow food coloring
***

--Zee

Slightly off-topic, but as long as we're talking about turmeric, I wanted to link to the recent research suggesting it may be effective in preventing Alzheimer's. Here's the UCLA press release on the study.

Devon Avenue, here I come!

The thread is definitely preferable to the powder. I generally buy a supply when (or someone I know) visits Spain. Do not keep it in the kitchen as it will degrade much more quickly. I keep it in a dresser drawer in our bedroom which has no radiator and is kept closed and cool in winter and mildly air-conditioned in summer. It will keep in a jar for a good couple of years that way.

Soaking in a small amount of hot liquid is one way to approach using saffron. The color will dissipate faster. A very small amount of liquid is really all that's necessary. I sometimes do this and then add to olive oil, garlic, and basil and use it to dress roasted peppers. It is very good.


Toasting is sometimes recommended. You really need to know your stove and pan for this, as it is very quick to burn, and at that price....

Oftentimes when toasting is recommended, grinding after is also; if you grind, use a mortar and pestle, I was gifted with a small brass one which does not absorb the flavor/color and allows you to get every last bit out.

However, if I'm short of time and haven't pre-planned, I will sometimes add a few threads to what might otherwise be a serviceable but pedestrian dish. The other night, I had some canned giant beans, sauted with a bit of leek, garlic, a pinch of thyme, a bay leaf that got only about 5 minutes in the pot lest it be too strong, parsley, and a few threads of saffron. Stewed together briefly, topped with fresh bread crumbs with enough olive oil to moisten them, run under the broiler, the saffron made it sublime.

If you find you like saffron, I think it's much wiser to invest in a good jar of the good stuff, try it in different preparations, and sometimes very sparingly. I have been subjected too many times to preparations made where a "single dose" has been purchased and all used, to ill effect. Too much saffron can have an almost medicinal taste.

For those who are interested, the Cornish have used saffron for millenia, apparently it developed as part of a trade between Phoenicians in what is now, basically, Andalucia, and Cornwall.

Some remnants of the use by the Cornish can be found in the area from Mineral Point to Dodgeville, WI, where the lead and later zinc mines attracted Cornish miners. The Cornish use there is primarily in saffron buns, a basic sweet yeast dough with raisins and saffron that you will find in old-time bakeries. In one pharmacy in the area, that still had a working soda fountain, I looked up from my malt and noticed what I thought was (and yes, it was) a one-pound tin that had arrived full of saffron, which was repackaged by the pharmacist in consumer-friendly amounts, and at a very good price, for superior Spanish coupe.

Soaking in a glass of wine also helps bring out the flavor of the saffron. I've also seen Indian recipes for saffron rice that calls for soaking the threads in some warm milk before pouring over the rice after it's been cooked.

It's funny you posted this just now b/c I was just looking into ordering some saffron for myself. A friend of mine who's a personal chef used to buy his from a store in San Francisco when he lived in the Bay Area.

I managed to find the store's Web site: http://www.saffron.com/. They have very good prices ($9.95 for 5 grams and $21.95 for a half ounce, including shipping), and their saffron is from Iran, which supposedly has superior saffron to Spain's. I once asked the Spice House why they didn't carry the ones from Iran, and they told me it was due to trickier trade regulations.

They also sell vanilla beans, which I haven't tried yet.

annieb wrote:Toasting is sometimes recommended. You really need to know your stove and pan for this, as it is very quick to burn, and at that price....

One fairly easy way to toast and bring out the aroma is to wrap in foil and then put it on a hot skillet/pan for a little while. Or even wrap in paper and wrap that in the foil.

Janet C. wrote:Soaking in a glass of wine also helps bring out the flavor of the saffron. I've also seen Indian recipes for saffron rice that calls for soaking the threads in some warm milk before pouring over the rice after it's been cooked.

I've never tried soaking in alcohol, but that makes sense. I suppose the alcohol in the wine, as the fat in the milk, would extract the aromatics better than plain water. However, the milk is usually warm/hot; wine probably not.