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Best European Saffron Types
Azafrán de la Mancha is a saffron grown in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha. It is a spice produced by drying the stigmas of the Crocus Sativus, L. plant. It has a floral and slightly bitter flavor and gives the dishes it is cooked in a bright gold yellow color.
Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world, with the price higher than that of gold, due to the laborious process of its harvesting. To preserve its subtle flavor, saffron grown in La Mancha is never sold powdered, but exclusively in the form of whole threads.
Krokos kozanis is a spice taken from the bulb stigmas of the saffron plant, part of the Iridaceae family. It is produced within the various municipal areas of Kozani, in the region of West Macedonia in the northern part of Greece.
The exclusive rights for the collection, distribution and packing of Greek Saffron is held by the Cooperative de Safran. Annual production depends upon weather conditions and ranges from 6 to 12 tons of pure red saffron per year. It takes 150,000 flowers to produce 1 kilogram of dried crocus stigmas and about 50,000 stigmas to obtain 100 grams of red saffron which makes saffron the most expensive spice in the world.
THE BEST Krokos Kozanis Saffrons
This saffron variety is grown exclusively on Azerbaijan's Absheron Peninsula for more than a thousand years. It is usually grown in small quantities on farm fields, and currently, 1 kg of Absheron saffron costs about $11,000. The expensive spice is typically used in saffron-rice plov, one of the national dishes of Azerbaijan, which is commonly served with a variety of fresh herbs and vegetables on the side.
Sardinia's red gold, Zafferano di Sardegna refers to the dried threads plucked from the saffron flowers which are believed to have been introduced to the island thousands of years ago by the Phoenicians. Today, Sardinian saffron is produced in the province of Medio Campidano, namely the towns of San Gavino Monreale, Turri, and Villanovafranca, where it thrives in the mild Mediterranean climate.
It is particularly prized for its intense flavor and fragrance.
Named after the Tuscan town where it's been cultivated since the 1200s, San Gimignano saffron owes its exceptional purity, strong flavor and intense aroma to the pedoclimatic conditions of the designated production area and the mild Mediterranean climate in which these flowers thrive. Zafferano di San Gimignano, often called 'the red gold of Tuscany', was so precious that it was once even used as a currency and the whole medieval town of Gimignano was built on wealth from the saffron trade which peaked by the end of 13th century.
Today, the production of saffron in Gimignano is again on the rise and this exotic spice is widely used for flavoring all kinds of sweet and savory dishes. The spicy and somewhat bittersweet San Gimignano saffron is an essential ingredient of the famous risotto Milanese but it also goes particularly well with vegetables, fish and white meat.
Munder safran is a variety of saffron produced in the area around Mund, a small village in the Swiss canton of Valais. This precious, deep red spice is derived from the powdered, dried stigmas of the flower known as Crocus sativus L.
Each flower has three stigmas, and the harvest is done exclusively by hand, at latest three days after blossoming. To obtain one gram of the dried spice, almost 180 flowers are needed. Munder safran is widely used in cooking, to add both color and flavor – some of the local delicacies include saffron bread, saffron rice, and even saffron flavored ice-cream.
Grown exclusively in the valley of Navelli located near the town of L'Aquila, at an altitude ranging from 350 to 1000 meters above sea level, in an area comprising of only 8 hectares of land, this variety of saffron was first introduced to the region of Abruzzo by a Dominican monk from Spain, in the late 14th century, during the Spanish inquisition. Zafferano dell'Aquila is considered to be a spice of premium quality because of its high safranal and crocin content.
It has a particularly pungent aroma and a quite an intense color.
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Best European Saffron Producers
AWARDS
Great Taste Awards - 2 stars
2024
Great Taste Awards - 3 stars
2022
BEST Luxurients Herbs and Spices
The Kozani Saffron Producers Cooperative, established in 1971, is headquartered in the village of Krokos, Kozani Prefecture, Greece. The cooperative comprises approximately 1,000 members and holds the exclusive rights to collect, process, package, and distribute saffron cultivated in the region.
The cooperative's primary objectives include coordinating saffron cultivation to enhance both yield and quality, as well as standardizing the product's appearance. To achieve these goals, the cooperative engages in scientific research on saffron cultivation and implements innovative programs to train its staff and farmers.
BEST Krokos Kozanis Herbs and Spices
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best European Saffrons
AWARDS
Great Taste Awards - 3 stars
2024
AWARDS
Great Taste Awards - 3 stars
2024
AWARDS
Great Taste Awards - 2 stars
2024
Great Taste Awards - 3 stars
2022
Red saffron filaments, packaged in a 28g glass jar, are a premium-quality product from the Kozani Saffron Producers Cooperative. This saffron is renowned for its superior aroma, vibrant color, and rich flavor, making it a prized ingredient in culinary applications.
The glass jar ensures the freshness and quality of the product are preserved for an extended period. For more details or to purchase, visit the official product page.
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