Why is Saffron the Most Expensive Spice? (How to Spot Fakes)

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Real saffron costs upwards of $5,000 per pound because it takes 75,000 flowers to produce a single pound of spice. This massive price tag is why Safflower, Corn Silk, and Dyed Horsehair are frequently sold as “bargain” saffron. This fraudulent fake saffron may be labeled saffron but is sometimes sold under the names Mexican saffron or American saffron. It’s hard to resist a deal, so how can you tell if the saffron you purchased is real or fake?

Why is saffron so expensive? Real threads vs water test comparison.

Real Saffron vs. Safflower: How to Tell the Difference

Because of its high price, the most common “fake” you will encounter is actually Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius). While it looks similar to the untrained eye, it lacks the chemical compounds that give real saffron its flavor and medicinal properties. Here is a quick breakdown of how Red Gold compares to its common imitators:

Feature	Real Saffron (Crocus sativus)	Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius)
Price	$10 – $20 per gram	$1 – $2 per gram
Shape	Trumpet-shaped threads	Shredded, flat, “flower-like”
Water Test	Slowly releases golden yellow	Turns water orange/red immediately
Aroma	Metallic honey and hay	Earthy or odorless

How to Identify Real Saffron at a Glance

Real saffron is fairly easy to identify in a close-up at a glance, as it should consist of deep-red, trumpet-shaped threads like those shown above. These threads come from a flower called crocus sativus, the so-called “saffron crocus.” It is primarily grown in Iran, Greece, Morocco, and India.

The reason why saffron is so expensive becomes clear when you look at the anatomy of the flower. The saffron crocus produces small purple flowers, each with only three small delicate threads of saffron. These must be picked by hand once per year, and the flower only blossoms four times during its lifetime. Machine harvesting would destroy them. As stated, it takes 70,000 flowers to produce just one pound of saffron! It doesn’t get more high-maintenance than that, folks.

🍫 More Culinary Imposters Saffron isn’t the only luxury ingredient plagued by fakes. If you’ve ever wondered why some white chocolate tastes like wax while others melt instantly, it’s usually because of a “labeling loophole.” Learn how to tell the difference between real and fake white chocolate.

Do Not Purchase Powdered Saffron

First, be aware that if you purchased powdered saffron, you made a mistake, since it is much more likely to be fake. You don’t know what it looked like before it was turned into a powder, and since it is a powder you can just take a close look at the store (assuming the powder is even visible) to tell if its real.

Some powdered saffron may be turmeric or turmeric adulterated to make it appear deeper red in color. Also, other flower species, like calendula, have been used to color saffron. If you have bought some, before you bother using it in a recipe, use the tips below to verify whether your powdered saffron is fake.

How to Spot Fake Powdered Saffron

The Smell Test: Real saffron powder still carries a pungent, metallic honey aroma. If it smells like “nothing” or purely earthy like turmeric, it’s a fake.
The Baking Soda Test: Mix a pinch of the powder with water and a bit of baking soda. Real saffron stays yellow; fakes often turn dull red if they contain turmeric or certain dyes.
The Price Red Flag: If you bought an ounce of “saffron powder” for $10, it is 100% fraudulent. At current market rates, that amount of real saffron would cost hundreds of dollars. This is the same ‘luxury trap’ found in the meat industry; just as cheap ‘Kobe-style’ sliders are almost never authentic Japanese Kobe beef, any saffron sold at a fraction of the market price is a red flag for fraud.

How to Test Saffron Threads

Testing saffron threads (non-powdered) is so easy, even I can do it. All you need is a small container, a little cold water, and a nice piece of saffron.

First, take a good look at the threads and compare them to the photo above or other images of real saffron you might find online. If they look trumpet-shaped, they are probably real.

Now follow these steps:

Place a pinch of saffron in a small bowl.
Pour in enough COLD water to cover the saffron threads.
Wait for the saffron to release its color into the water.

If the saffron threads are real, they will slowly release their color, turning the water a golden yellow color. If the saffron threads are fake, the water will start turning yellow or even red almost immediately.

If this happens, it means something has been added to the fake threads, like soluble food coloring.

Real saffron threads will take a while to steep and infuse as any plant product would. Do not use hot water as this will cause the infusion to happen too quickly, making it harder to judge whether it is real or fake.