Arab foods are famous because of their spices. You can feel different tastes in these foods and the chef’s secret is their spices. Saffron as the most expensive spice in the world has many fans of Arab cuisine. We are going to explain saffron in Egypt and its popularity and also its price.
How the journey of saffron has been start?
Saffron was born in Iran and for many years it was located there and used in different fields. Due to the price of this spice, it was used just in royal society. When trading developed, other countries could travel, buy, and sell in other areas, and people around the world started to use the special products of other countries. This was the start of the saffron journey. Almost all sources explain that Arab merchants took saffron to other countries. Europeans have the chance to experience the wonderful taste, exotic colors, and fragrant aromas due to the Arab merchants and the Silk Road.
Egypt as an Arab country is one of the main spice, especially saffron users. They use these magical threads in their food, beverages, and desserts. These phrases mean that almost all Egyptians know saffron and the use of it.
Saffron is not just a spice, it has great medicinal properties that are beneficial for our health. This magic herb can be the treatment for most of the diseases. Traditional medicines have been prescribed using this spice as a drug for many patients. After many years doctors and experts agreed to test saffron and its health effects. Today, pharmacists have started to make tablets, extracts, and capsules of saffron.
The price of saffron
Saffron known as “red gold”, is the most expensive spice. Most people ask why this spice has a high price, there are different reasons why saffron is expensive. Various factors affect saffron prices. The price of saffron is determined each year due to its pricing factors. We explain the most important factors.
Growing conditions
When we discuss the growing conditions for most of the plants that mean the weather, climate and soil, while growing conditions for the herb of golden spice are different. You should find good soil, climate, and weather first, then you have to learn about watering, fertilizing, temperature fixing, and many other conditions. When one of these conditions is not as good as enough the product loses its quality or you may lose all the products. These things cause serious problems in growing saffron and make it hard.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvesting saffron is manual, it is better to say that all steps of harvesting saffron should be manual and need professional labours. These things cause more casts and these costs would add to the final price.
Processing saffron needs machines and in some steps of the process are manual. The same as harvesting these steps cause costs and add to the final price.
Types of saffron
Saffron has many different types; these types are different in shape, quality, and price. You may ask when these differences occur? During processing and due to the quality the harvested threads have they types would be different. Here are the types of saffron:
Konj saffron or the Root
When during the process the orange or yellow part of strands cut and dried, the final product called the Root or Konj saffron. This type of saffron has an orange or yellow color and cannot release any color. The aroma and the taste of Konj saffron is the same as other types of saffron, but not as strong as them.
The roots are short, like one centimeter, and they are usually curved. This type of saffron is the cheapest one. When you only need the aroma and taste, and you do not want to pay too much, you can use Konj saffron. This type is not popular, and in many countries they do not even know it. Frauds usually color these root parts of the Konj saffron to red and sell them instead of high-quality saffron that is why you should know about the Konj saffron and you need to recognize it.
Daste or Bunch
Daste saffron has really beautiful shape like a bunch. In the process method, saffron threads gathered and bunched, then dried to make this type of saffron. This type is popular due to its shape. In Daste, you can see the real shape of saffron threads. Due to the processing method, the threads are curved and may break. Usually, the quality of this type is not high, and the price is cheaper than the other one. This type of saffron is popular due to the frauds.
According to the shape of Daste, frauds could not copy something like this. In addition, this type is not expensive that means it is not profitable to copy it.
Pushal
In Pushal saffron you can see the root and the red part of saffron together. To process this type of the red gold, threads need no cut they separated and dried. You may find some curved, burned, or broken threads in this type, but they are not much. This type has the same shape with the Daste saffron, but due to smooth threads, it is more popular than the Daste saffron. Pushal saffron is not expensive and not too cheap, we can say this type has acceptable price. Frauds cannot copy Pushal and that is another reason for Pushal popularity.
Pushal saffron has good quality and most saffron users like it because of good price, good quality and the shape. You can recognize this shape soon and simple.
The difference between Pushal and Daste is the smoothness of Pushal threads. This smoothness is due to the drying method.
Negin saffron
One of the most famous and popular types of saffron is Negin. In this type only the red part of stigmas cut, and dried. The threads of Negin saffron have 3 to 4 centimeters long and all red. This type has high-quality and high price. You may see curved, burned, or broken strands in Negin saffron, but do not hesitate that these strands have high quality. You should know that Negin saffron has three different types, Super Negin, Like Negin, and Press or otoee Negin.
Like Negin has many curved, burned, and broken threads. Pressed Negin has different processing method. In the process method of this type, especial machines used to dry the threads. Super Negin saffron is known as the main types of saffron, we explain it below.
Super Negin
As we mentioned above, Negin saffron has three different types, you may hear about Super Negin saffron. Super Negin saffron is the most famous type of Negin saffron. Most people think Negin is the other types of saffron with lower quality, but the truth is that Super Negin is the best kinds of Negin.
In Negin saffron you may find curved, burned, or broken threads, but in Super Negin all these threads separated and you would find long, red, and smooth threads. The highs-quality saffron uses to make Super Negin.
Frauds try to make different foodstuffs like this type and sell their fake products. You should learn about recognizing Super Negin saffron to avoid fake saffron. Most suppliers suggest Super Negin saffron as the best types of saffron; actually, Super Negin is the best type of saffron that you can find in the markets today.
Sargol saffron
Sarol in Persian means the first and freshest part of the flower. The best and highest quality of saffron belongs to this type. In processing Sargol saffron you can see the only first centimeter of the red part of the stigmas, the freshest and best part of the flower. This type has the highest quality and is the most expensive one. Unfortunately, processing this type is not profitable for the producers and suppliers that is why we cannot see this type in the markets today.
Frauds could copy this type very simple and sell it with a high price, maybe it is better that the production of this type stopped.
Saffron Powder
The life today cause producers make saffron powder. As you know when you want to use saffron it is better to make saffron powder or grind it with mortar, most people do not have enough time to do so. The producers and suppliers introduced the new types of saffron as the saffron powder. You should buy this type from trusted sellers, because frauds can sell you any other powders with the same saffron color and aroma. The Ghaaneh saffron brand uses Negin and Super Negin threads to make its saffron powder.
Quality
The quality always affects the price. The higher quality, the higher price. The best quality of saffron comes from saffron fields in Iran. Iranian saffron has the best quality in the world. These points mean that Iranian saffron is the most expensive one in the world.
Supply and demand
Saffron is an agricultural product. As you know, agricultural products are affected by the weather and climate changes. That means the saffron production changes each year due to the climate and weather and other agricultural conditions.
The demand for saffron increases every day, but the supply depends on many different things and when it decreases cause a higher price. In 2024, the saffron productions have decreased and the price increase.
Saffron price in Egypt
You can buy saffron in bulk in Egypt, in 2024, with the price range of $7.51 to $10.25 per kilogram and $3.41 to $4.65 per pound. You can also buy saffron in retail. The retail price range in Egypt is $10.73 to $14.64 per kilogram and $0.87 to $6.64 per pound. You should check the exact price in the buying time.
Where to buy saffron in Egypt?
Nowadays, new buying methods show themselves to people, and younger accept these methods and use them, while others cannot trust new methods. You can buy anything from online shops today, and other people who cannot trust online shopping can find local shops.
Online shops
Today, online shops make everything easy for people, we can buy anything we want from anywhere. Sending and receiving systems help people buy, sell, receive, and send their products. These new systems also make everything easier for companies. They can introduce their products and show their licenses and standards on their website and other social media. People can search and check the trusting factors on the internet and choose the best sellers.
About saffron, when you want to buy it from online shops, you should know saffron and can recognize real saffron and avoid fake ones. There are certain ways to recognize real saffron and also there are some ways you can recognize high-quality saffron.
The best quality saffron belongs to Iran. All around the world, Iranian saffron is known as the best and highest quality saffron. The Ghaaneh saffron brand supplies high-quality Persian saffron for you. You can check the ISOs, standards, and licenses on the website. You can find all kinds of saffron with the finest quality in the Ghaaneh brand.
Egypt local shops
Arabs use spices in all foods and recipes that is why Arabian spices are famous. The local shops are full of Arabian and other spices that you need. Here are some of the famous local shops in Egypt.
Khan Al-Khalili
It is the open bazaar that introduces Egyptian culture to visitors. This market is filled with local artisans and vendors; you can find every spices and perfumes. You will enjoy walking in this market.
Aswan Market
Aswan is an outdoor market that is located in the central feature of the Aswan city, south of Egypt. You can find all kinds of foodstuffs, like fruit, meant, vegetable, and spices there.
Old Market
This bustling market has eclectic shops line in the narrow alleyways. You can buy spices, textiles, and other traditional Egyptian goods here. There are also plenty of fantastic Arabic foods on offer in this market.
Conclusion
A country like Egypt produces and also imports saffron, due to the amount of saffron usage. The demand for saffron in this country is more than the production. Approximately, 85 percent of saffron in the world produced in Iran. You can find Iranian saffron all around the world. The price of saffron increased in 2024, due to the decrease in the production, but the demand is still increasing. If you know how to store saffron, it is better to buy wholesale. The wholesale has a cheaper price than the retail.
FAQs
Is saffron usage in Egypt different?
Actually no, saffron has industrial, medicinal, and culinary use. Different countries have different recipes in their cuisines. The recipes may be different, but the methods are the same.
Why the demand for saffron is increasing?
Experts started to test and experiment the medicinal and healing properties of saffron these days. They can prove that saffron has exotic medicinal properties and could be the treatment for most of the diseases. That is the main reason that the demand for this golden spice is increasing. Due to these new tests, most people know what is saffron and how they can use it. Now, they start or want to start using saffron.
How can I recognize real saffron?
There are many different ways to recognize real saffron. The most famous tests of knowing saffron are 8 simple one that you can find them on the Internet. The simplest way to recognize real and high-quality saffron knows the shape of different types of saffron. When you can recognize the saffron threads, frauds could not sell you the colour strands instead of saffron. You should also learn about how to brew saffron. Fake saffron releases color in a second or a minute, while real saffron needs time to release its dreamy color.
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