Saffron best Quality, the most precious spice in the world!

The Saffron filaments, or threads, are actually the dried stigmas of the saffron flower, “Crocus Sativus Linneaus”. Each flower contains only three stigmas. These threads must be picked from each flower by hand, and more than 75,000 of these flowers are needed to produce just one pound of Saffron filaments, making it the world’s most precious spice.

But, because of saffron’s strong colouring power and intense flavour, it can be used sparingly. Saffron is used both for its bright orange-yellow colour and for its strong, intense flavour and aroma. Crocus Sativus Linneaus contains crocin, the source of its strong colouring property, bitter-crocin, which offers the distinctive aroma and taste and essential oils which are responsible for its therapeutic properties.Saffron is available both in filaments and powder, though the long, deep red filaments are usually preferable to the powder as the latter can be easily adulterated.

Saffron Best Quality direct from Krokos, is a small Greek town of 5.000 inhabitants, only 5 km south of the city of Kozani Greece.

The prefecture of Kozani produces the world’s Saffron Best Quality of crocus in the world! The locals are so dedicated to its production rite that one of the producer’s village, i.e. Krokos, is named after this spice.

Saffron Best Quality Crocus (sativus L.) is an herbaceous plant of the Iridaceae family. It has a bulb and comprises over 70 species and subspecies. It flowers every year, in autumn from around mid-October to mid-November. This is also the crop period that gives way to a delicate processing phase through which the much-desired product will be obtained. Annual production, depending on weather conditions, ranges from 6 to 12 tons of pure red saffron each year. Much of this production is certified organic. All of it is (PDO) no other region of Greece can produce Greek Red Saffron. It is also extremely high-quality: Greek Red Saffron, as provided by the Kozani Cooperative, has a guaranteed coloring strength of 230.

Known since the times of Ancient Egypt, the crocus was much sought after by the ancient Greeks and Romans as it was believed to have medicinal and aphrodisiac properties. In fact it is cited by Asclepius and Hippocrates. It is, still today, used in pharmaceutics but mainly in cooking and confectionery. Moreover, it plays the role of a pigment in products such as pasta and butter. It is easy to find recipes using the ingredient of crocus cited as saffron in cookery books.