Our Herati Saffron has a beautiful delicate floral flavor, golden color and warm, honeyed fragrance reminiscent of dried roses and fresh hay. Our saffron threads are pulled carefully from the flower, which leaves a characteristic flame-colored tail. That slight gradation in color is your assurance that our saffron is 100% pure and never dyed or otherwise adulterated. The threads are also uncommonly delicate.
Saffron is a key element in cuisines from the Mediterranean to South Asia and is used in both sweet and savory preparations. It adds a distinctive floral flavor and golden color to fragrant rice dishes like paella, risotto and biryani, to frozen desserts like ice cream and kulfi, and to traditional teas. It is often paired with cardamom, pistachio and rosewater.Saffron is also said to have beneficial health properties, including increasing serotonin levels, reducing stress and anxiety and reducing hunger pangs.
Our saffron is of the highest quality, sometimes called super negin or sargol depending on how it is harvested and graded.
Herat, Afghanistan
Sun-dried
Whole saffron threads (Crocus sativa)
Honey • Dried Roses • Fresh Hay
Cloud Forest Cardamom, Wild Mountain Cumin, Silk Chili Flakes
COOKING
- Steep a few threads in warm water when making crunchy baked rice
- Add a handful of threads when making paella
- Saffron Fried Rice with Bacon and Shrimp
SOURCING
Our saffron is cultivated in the deserts of the Herat province in western Afghanistan, on the border with Iran, where saffron has grown for thousands of years. During the annual harvest in November and December, farmers begin work at dawn, plucking the beautiful white and purple crocus flowers before the desert sun can wilt them and ruin the invaluable stigmas. Each flower produces only three stigmas, which are painstakingly extracted by hand and dried.
Saffron is immensely valuable, and like any valuable product, dishonest traders may attempt to deceive consumers about the quality of their product. Safflower, a different flower entirely, is sometimes sold as saffron; safflower petals have straight, orange threads, while true saffron threads are deep red, curled and tangled. Lower-grade saffron threads may also be cut and colored with red dye to make them appear higher quality.
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United StatesSaffron
Very rapid response, well packed. This saffron is powerful, a little goes a long way.. it is a wonderful addition to rice in dishes where saffron flavor s dominant. We will be using Burlap and Barrel as our main source in the future.
United StatesFirst timer
I’ve never used saffron before and now I don’t know why!! First, it smells so intoxicating that I wasn’t sure how best to use it so it didn’t lose that scent. I chose a Moroccan chicken stew. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. The smell in my kitchen is heady and floral and the taste is citrusy, light but very warming and exotic. I’m off to find more recipes with saffron. I hate that I’m so late to the saffron game!!
United StatesFragrant Saffron
The herati saffron is so good. I made some shrikhand (thickened flavored yogurt) using it and saffron is one of the main ingredients! A good quality of Saffron is very important! Love this! Can’t wait to buy more. Such good quality.
United StatesBest Christmas Gift!!!!
My kids gave me a dozen bottles of Burlap & Barrel spices for Christmas (to be fair, I put this on my Christmas list but I NEVER expected so many!!!!). I have used the Black Lime on so many things, I love it! I love all of them, actually! I am a professional chef and using the very best ingredients is so important to me. Now, my spice shelf is as amazing as the local, sustainably-sourced ingredients that are at the heart of my cuisine!
United StatesTop notch quality
I’ll be back for more!!
United StatesExcellent
My saffron ice cream and biscotti came out so great. I’ve already ordered another jar.
United StatesTrue Essence
Seafood Paella was remarkable! The use of the Herati Saffron in the stock pot was amazing. Added to the dish was the Smoked Paprika, incredibly earthy and then further enhanced with the Citrusy floral notes of Cumac was sheer genius.
I look forward to using the saffron.
