Saffron - Crocus sativus

The crocus is a bulbous plant in the iris family (Iridaceae). Crocuses grow in mountainous regions around the Mediterranean Sea, including the Balkans, but also in the Alps. Saffron is extracted from a specific species of crocus, Crocus sativus, a species that does not occur in the wild and is known as the saffron crocus.

Because saffron is expensive and there is high demand for cheap saffron, the market is flooded with fake saffron in the form of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) or—in ground form—finely chopped plant fibers colored with turmeric (Curcuma longa). But even when a saffron is genuine and demonstrably derived from the saffron crocus, you must be wary. In any case, verify the test results (crochin content, for example). The golden rule is that you recognize good saffron by its botanical name and the data according to ISO standards.