Saffron Price in Greece: Local Shop Reviews

Saffron has a long history; it traveled and still travel all around the world. Arabs take the saffron bulbs to Europe and Europeans tried to cultivate the golden spice. They could not cultivate it with the same quality with that saffron Arabs brought. This story still continues. Greece cultivates saffron but its saffron has bad quality. The Greek saffron has no type due to its less quality. That means, although, saffron is cultivated in Greece, they need to import the high quality saffron. Greeks know saffron and use it.

What is the red gold? And why we call it red gold?

Saffron has the highest price as a spice all around the world. This expensive spice is the stigmas of a beautiful flower named the Crocus Sativus in botanical and known as the Crocus flower or saffron flower. The red gold is actually these stigmas that separated from this pretty flower and processed. The processing method would specify the types of saffron.

We called this spice the red gold due to its magnificent red color and of course the high price that it has. This spice has the price more expensive than gold, calling it the red gold could be reasonable.

Why saffron price is so high?

All agricultural products should pass many steps to get ready for use. These steps have costs and would affect the final cost of the product. There are also other factors in costing a product.

Growing conditions

Saffron has especial and different growing conditions that you cannot grow it anywhere. The climate, weather, watering, and many other things are important. If any of these conditions are not provided the final product has bad quality. In other word, to produce the best quality of saffron you should provide all growing conditions. Experts say that even in the same saffron filed various saffron karat would achieve.

Processing

During processing saffron the stigmas are separated from the flowers manually and cut and dried. The final products are dried saffron threads with different longitude, based on the cut.

Types

The shape, quality, color, and length of the saffron threads are different in the saffron types. There are various saffron types named Sargol, Super Negin, Negin, Pushal, Daste, Powder, and Konj.

The Konj is just the root part of the stigmas and has orange or yellow color.

Daste saffron has all parts of the stigmas, the root and the red part. To provide this type processors make a bunch from the stigmas and dry them.

Pushal saffron is one of the most popular types. In this type, you can see all parts of the stigmas and they are dried smoothly. This type is popular due to its shape, as we mentioned above, the red and yellow parts are on the Pushal stigmas. Frauds cannot make something like Pushal.

Super Negin and Negin saffron has only the red part, they dry without broken and burn threads. Actually, Super Negin is the best kinds of Negin saffron. In the Super Negin threads, there is no curve, break, or burn one, while you find some in the Negin saffron.

Sargal saffron has only the first centimeter of the red part. The most expensive, with the highest karat saffron type is Sargol.

The saffron powder is a type that has the simplest usages. This type is ready to use, but you should recognize the saffron and its quality. Frauds color different foodstuffs like corn and wheat and sell them as saffron.

The Ghaaneh saffron brand has all these types of saffron, and this brand is a Persian saffron supplier. The saffron powder of this brand is made from the Negin and Super Negin saffron.

Quality

The fineness or quality of saffron has a criterion that called the saffron karat. People cannot measure this criterion at home. To measure the saffron karat, the product should pass different tests in the labs. According to the tests, the best quality of saffron and the highest saffron karat belongs to Persian saffron.

Almost 85 percent of saffron is produced in Iran. That means Iran has the best growing conditions for growing saffron.

Demand

When the demand for a product grow, its price increase too. The demand of saffron is growing these days due to its medicinal benefits and great health properties.

Greek saffron

Greek saffron has no type. It has a normal quality. People use Greek saffron in this country, but they need more and better quality of saffron that is why Greece imports saffron too. There are differences in using Greek saffron and the highest quality saffron. The properties are different.

The saffron price in Greece

You can buy saffron in bulk or retail in Greece. You want to use it in your industry it is better to buy it in bulk. When you want to give it as a gift to someone or you prefer to use fresh saffron, or you cannot store it, buy your saffron in retail.

The price of saffron per gram in Greece is between $7 to $9 and each kilo of saffron has the price between $2,500 to $3,000 based on types, quality, and origin.

Online and local shops

Greek people know saffron and you can find Greek saffron almost in all local shops in Greece, while if you are looking for the Iranian saffron with the finest quality you should look more. You cannot find Iranian saffron everywhere. Maybe you should look online shops to find the saffron you want.

There are different shops online and locally, and even markets, but do not forget that you should recognize saffron types and quality to avoid fake saffron.

You should be more careful when you want to buy the most expensive spice from online shops. You should check their licenses, ISOs, standards, and their consumers. You can buy Ghaaneh saffron brand from us, this brand supplies the best Iranian saffron for the consumers.

Here are some of the most famous Greece local shops that you can buy saffron from. We introduce local shops in Athens.

Monastiraki

Monastiraki is the name of the most famous square in Athens. This square is rich in culture and tourists visit come to this square to see the Tzistarakis Aga mosque, the symbol of Ottoman rule in the city. The neoclassic buildings around this square are famous too. If you want to visit the Monastiraki shops, it is recommended to go there on Sunday, on this day there is a flea market that really worth to visit. You can find saffron and almost everything you need there.

Varvakios Agora

This local shop is one of the oldest one. You can find all kinds of foodstuffs there. Sellers infuse the aroma of their products under covered roof to give you new and unique experiences. Imagine that you can smell the fragrant aroma of the golden spice there.

Evripidou Street

This local shop is the spice shop and Deli Hub of the city. You can find all kinds of herbs, spices, sacks of tea, and nuts in there from 1940 to today. This shop is the favorite chefs shop.

Conclusion

You can buy your saffron in bulk or retail. You should read and search about saffron, its storing method, shelf life, and quality. When you have enough information, you can recognize real and avoid fake saffron. We also recommend learning about saffron usage and the benefits. Buy your saffron from trusted sellers. Check and ask about them before buying the golden spice.

FAQs

Can I recognize saffron from its shape?

Yes, you can. The high quality, Super Negin saffron has the threads with almost 3 centimeters long and all red. These threads have no broken, burn, or curve one. The other saffron types have the shape that you can recognize them. You should see them and their photos.

Should I use only the best quality of saffron?

Experts believe that adding the sunshine spice even with the normal quality is better than do not have it at all. It is recommended to use saffron in your daily diet. It is better to use high quality ones, but it is better to use it with any types and quality.

What is the best using method of saffron?

You can use saffron in your food, beverages and desserts. The best using method is using saffron tea or saffron water based on the experts recommend. You have to control about the prohibited cases and amounts of using this magic spice.