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Saffron
Aromatics · Sa

Saffron

Crocin is water soluble · 0.1 g is enough

Per 100 g
310 kcal Energy
11.4 g Protein
65.4 g Carbs
5.9 g Fat
3.9 g Fibre
Gluten-free

Let’s cook with it → Invent something with it

What it is for

They give the character. Same technique, same ingredient, a different trio of spices — and the dish moves to another cuisine entirely. Most of their aroma molecules are volatile.

Where it catches you out

Volatile ones go in last, sturdy ones first. Mint and basil after the heat; bay and cinnamon right at the start.

The knack

Never add it dry: steep it in a tablespoon of warm water for ten minutes, which is the only way the colour and aroma come out.

Storage and health

How to keep it, and who it suits.

Keeping it

Airtight, dark and dry for 2-3 years, and strictly away from moisture. The fridge is wrong for it precisely because of humidity.

Gluten-free

Saffron is the stigma of a crocus flower and contains no gluten.

Glycaemic index

This ingredient carries no meaningful carbohydrate, so it has no glycaemic index. On its own it will not move blood sugar; what you eat alongside it decides that.

What it works with

Pairings, and the reason for each

"They go well together" is not an explanation. Every pairing below has a chemical or structural mechanism under it.

Water →

Crocin is esterified to two gentiobiose sugars, making it a rare *water-soluble* carotenoid. Blooming saffron in warm liquid is chemically necessary; blooming it in oil largely fails.

Also works with

Rice Milk Chicken Sugar Almond Honey

What it fights with

Olive oil

Blooming in oil does not work: crocin will not dissolve.

What goes on top
  • The bloomed liquid drizzled over finished rice or zerde
Key compounds
Krosin
The colour; water-soluble.
Safranal
The hay-and-honey aroma, formed as picrocrocin breaks down and lost again with excessive heat.
Nutritionally

Saffron is used at milligram doses and is nutritionally irrelevant; every saffron health study uses extract doses far above any culinary amount.

Same family

Ga Garlic GarlicAllicin forms 60 s after cutting Cu Cumin CuminCuminaldehyde · fat soluble Cf Chilli flakes Chilli flakesCapsaicin dissolves in fat, not water Ci Cinnamon CinnamonCinnamaldehyde 60–75% Bp Black pepper Black pepperPiperine · aroma flees once ground Mi Mint MintMenthol is volatile · add off the heat Ba Basil BasilLinalool · blackens with heat, add last Su Sumac SumacpH 3.1 · dry acid that adds no water By Bay leaf Bay leafEugenol · only opens up with long cooking Ks Bulb onion Bulb onion89.1% water · 40 kcal K5 Red onion Red onionAnthocyanin · less sulphur Ts Spring onion Spring onion89.8% water · 32 kcal My Parsley Parsley87.7% water · 36 kcal De Dill Dill86% water · 43 kcal Lk Lemon peel Lemon peel81.6% water · 47 kcal Cr Nigella seeds Nigella seeds6% water · 387 kcal Is Urfa pepper Urfa pepper? Kek Dried oregano Dried oregano9.9% water · 265 kcal Me Dried marjoram Dried marjoram7.6% water · 271 kcal Rt Fennel seeds Fennel seeds8.8% water · 345 kcal At Anise seeds Anise seeds9.5% water · 337 kcal Yn Allspice Allspice8.5% water · 263 kcal K3 Cloves Cloves9.9% water · 274 kcal Ze Ground turmeric Ground turmeric12.9% water · 312 kcal Zn Fresh ginger Fresh ginger78.9% water · 80 kcal Mh Mahleb Mahleb? Da Mastic resin Mastic resin? Za Za’atar (sesame blend) Za’atar (sesame blend)? Kir Sweet paprika Sweet paprika11.2% water · 282 kcal Ht Ground mustard seed Ground mustard seed5.3% water · 508 kcal Kis Coriander seeds Coriander seeds8.9% water · 298 kcal Cv Soapwort root Soapwort root? Vc Vanilla pod Vanilla pod? Kak Cocoa powder (unsweetened) Cocoa powder (unsweetened)3% water · 228 kcal