Iranian Saffron Grades Explained

"This is Iranian saffron," Carmen says, holding up a small glass vial at the Fosetter counter. "I'm rather proud of it. Iranian saffron comes in several grades, and what we have is the highest." In October 2026 she walked us through how she got it, how to tell grades apart, and how little you need for a cup.

What saffron is

Saffron is the dried stigma of the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus. Each flower has three red stigmas, picked by hand and dried, which is why it is one of the most expensive spices in the world. Britannica notes that it is cultivated chiefly in Iran, with smaller production in Spain, Italy, France and India. It is used to flavour food and as a dye.

Grades, in the lab and in the trade

There are two ways people talk about saffron quality. The international standard ISO 3632 sorts saffron into categories by laboratory tests for colouring strength, bitterness and aroma, linked to the compounds crocin, picrocrocin and safranal. In the trade, especially for Iranian saffron, people use cut names. Negin refers to long, whole red threads, Sargol to the red tips only, and Pushal to threads that still carry some of the yellow style.

Carmen sells Negin, which she calls Negin A Plus. "We used to sell Sargol too," she says. "Now we only sell this one."

How to see the difference

She lays a few threads on white paper. "One flower has three threads. In Negin they are long." She lines them up. "The higher the grade, the longer. The lower the grade, the shorter. Sargol is very short." Hers are all long now, she adds. There is no old stock and no Sargol left.

Then she brings out some Spanish saffron, kept only for comparison. "I've never sold it," she says. Next to the Iranian threads you can see many yellow parts. "More impurities, lower grade." She explains that some saffron sold very cheaply is cheap for exactly this reason, because the yellow part makes it less pure. The smell is different too. "You can smell that our Iranian saffron smells different from other saffron."

Held at customs, and an origin certificate

Getting it to Montreal was not simple. "This is why my Iranian saffron got stuck at customs," she says, "because it counts as having medicinal use." She points to a certificate that came from Iran with the shipment. Iran is under economic sanctions, so even sending payment was a problem. Once the payment was settled, the goods still had to arrive, and then be cleared. "Just the storage fee at the airport was 200 dollars a day."

"That is the only way we get good goods," she says. "That's my personality. Once I know something is good, I'll do whatever it takes to get it."

How she makes a cup

"I'm not going to talk about health benefits now," she says. "Look them up online yourself. Science is so advanced now, and AI too." What she does show you is how little you need.

Take three threads. "Three is enough. You don't need more."
Pour hot water over them.
Wait a moment while the water turns golden.

At 18 dollars a gram, she points out, a gram lasts a long time. One cup a day is all she suggests. Good saffron also keeps giving colour. "Besides the first steep, the second and the third are the same colour." The threads sink to the bottom, just like tea leaves. She says that is one way to tell good saffron. Every steep comes out golden.

For a wife who works hard and is under a lot of pressure, she likes to add a red date, or osmanthus flowers. "Women may not be the head of the family," she says, "but they can affect the happiness of three generations."

More than a tea

Saffron is also a strong natural colour and a seasoning. Ground into powder, it can be used as a dye. In cooking it turns rice golden, and the Spanish kind, she says, can go into paella. The colour is the giveaway. Leave a cup to stand and the whole glass stays golden yellow.

You can see and smell Carmen's Iranian saffron next to the comparison sample at 78 Rue De La Gauchetière Ouest. For other shopping tips from the counter, read our guides on choosing cordyceps and Xinhui chenpi.

Iranian Saffron at Fosetter: Grades, Customs and a Three-Thread Cup