Super Negin Saffron

Super Negin saffron is wonderfully potent. A single pinch colours and perfumes a whole dish, and one 5g pouch holds around 2,000 threads, enough for roughly 80 dishes for four.

Bloom it first

1. GrindCrush 15 to 25 threads to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar. A pinch of sugar helps them grind.
2. SteepCover with 2 to 3 tablespoons of warm, not boiling, water and leave for 10 to 20 minutes until deep amber. For a slower, more aromatic bloom, let two ice cubes melt over it instead.
3. AddStir the golden liquid in towards the end of cooking to keep its colour and aroma at their brightest.

Six ways to enjoy it

• In your teapotAdd 5 to 8 threads to black tea, or steep them alone for a caffeine free golden infusion. For a saffron latte, warm milk with a pinch of saffron, cardamom and honey.
• Golden ricePersian chelow with its crisp tahdig, biryani, paella and risotto alla milanese.
• DessertsSholeh zard rice pudding, Persian saffron and rose ice cream, panna cotta and poached pears.
• BakingSaffron buns, Cornish saffron cake, Swedish lussekatter and shortbread. Bloom the threads in the recipe's warm milk.
• Savoury dishesJoojeh kabab chicken marinated in saffron, yoghurt and lemon, slow cooked tagines and fish stews such as bouillabaisse.
• Cold drinksSaffron and rose sharbat, saffron lemonade, or a few drops of bloomed saffron in a cocktail or mocktail.

How much to use

• A cup of tea5 to 8 threads
• Desserts for 4 to 615 to 25 threads
• Rice for 420 to 30 threads
• Paella for 625 to 35 threads

Good to know: never fry the threads directly in hot oil, as fierce heat dulls their aroma. Bloomed saffron keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for a few days.

Saffron has been prized for its wellbeing properties for thousands of years, and modern scientists continue to study it closely. Here is what the research has found so far.

Health benefits in research

• Rich in antioxidantsSaffron contains crocin, crocetin, safranal and kaempferol, natural plant compounds that act as antioxidants, helping to protect cells against damage from free radicals in laboratory studies.
• Mood and wellbeingA 2019 review of randomised clinical trials found that saffron supplements significantly improved symptoms of mild to moderate depression and anxiety compared with a placebo.
• Premenstrual symptomsIn a 2008 double blind trial, women taking 30mg of saffron a day over two menstrual cycles reported noticeably fewer premenstrual symptoms than those taking a placebo.
• Appetite and snackingIn a 2010 placebo controlled trial, women taking a saffron extract for eight weeks snacked less often and felt fuller for longer.
• Eye healthSmall clinical trials in people with early age related macular degeneration found that daily saffron supplements improved retinal function.

Most of these studies used concentrated saffron supplements, often around 30mg a day for several weeks, and researchers agree that larger, longer studies are still needed.

A place in Persian tradition

Saffron has been cultivated in Persia since around the 10th century BC, and Iran still grows around 90% of the world's saffron today. The celebrated Persian physician Ibn Sina, known in the West as Avicenna, wrote about saffron in his Canon of Medicine, completed in 1025. Around 150 crocus flowers are hand picked to make a single gram.

Enjoy it wisely

• CaffeineNone, naturally
• Everyday cookingA pinch is all you need
• Large amounts5g or more at once can be harmful
• Pregnancy and breastfeedingNormal food amounts only

Please note: Super Negin saffron is a food, not a medicine, and this information is not medical advice. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or managing a health condition, speak to your doctor before using saffron in more than everyday cooking amounts.