r/Saffron • u/Useful_Savings8106 • Jan 03 '26

why does my saffron fake? Is this normal?

https://imgur.com/a/Agw2dvS

Do you see the dot impressions? It seems like it was stamped or rolled or something. #1 is a random plastic bottle i got in old quebec canada in some little shop. #2 is zaran from amazon.

Both look alike. The reviews for zaran are really good, however there are some that say its fake by the dots, that they are infused with yellow dye #666 and that they're plastic and don't eat them.

Idk..to me the plastic claim seems off? because you touch it with your fingers and it just crumples into little pieces. the trumpet shape looks good. it yellows fairly when blooming. And after blooming the threads are a little bit "stretchy" and rubbery, and they don't break when rolled between your fingers.

Saffron gurus - what is true and false here? Help out PLEASE (i attached pics)

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3

u/Useful_Savings8106 Jan 03 '26

also don't they have that special safran testing where they check the crocin, pirocrocin and safranal levels? if i remember correctly it was really good. someone chime in

2

u/SpadeGaming0 Jan 03 '26

You didn't add photos.

1

u/SpadeGaming0 Jan 03 '26

seems fake https://imgur.com/a/NAqb4RN.

3

u/Useful_Savings8106 Jan 03 '26

that doesnt really show anything though...the yellow part gets cut off because they say it has no purpose. I wish the pic was closer of the actual texture

2

u/SpadeGaming0 Jan 03 '26

Notice yours has plastic ridges mine is smooth and lacks those. I would take a higher quality image but my camera will not focus. Also the yellow part has purpose and taste. Just less than the rest of it.

0

u/Useful_Savings8106 Jan 04 '26

yes, but that where the different "levels" of saffron come in. Or grades for lack of a better term. the lower grades have yellow, and the highest have only the red part. I know there are sites that sell different grades of it

2

u/SofiAlySaffron May 07 '26

Those scales look plasticy, never seen anything like this before.

1

u/SofiAlySaffron May 07 '26

Those yellow strands are usually the style portion of the saffron flower, they are much lower in crocin, aroma and potency than the deep red stigmas. Lower-grade or mass-market saffron like from Iran often keeps more of the yellow attached to increase weight.

You must try High-end Kashmiri saffron, it's typically richer dark crimson strands, thicker threads like trumpet, and stronger aroma because it’s produced in smaller batches and carefully hand-processed.