Nutrition and buying tips: Saffron

All values below are per 1 tsp (0.7g) of saffron.

Proximates
Water 0.08g
Energy 2kcal
Protein 0.08g
Total lipid (fat) 0.04g
Carbohydrate, by difference 0.46g
Fiber, total dietary 0.0g

Minerals
Calcium, Ca 1mg
Iron, Fe 0.08mg
Magnesium, Mg 2mg
Phosphorus, P 2mg
Potassium, K 12mg
Sodium, Na 1mg
Zinc, Zn 0.01mg

Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid 0.6mg
Thiamin 0.001mg
Riboflavin 0.002mg
Niacin 0.010mg
Vitamin B-6 0.007mg
Folate, DFE 1µg
Vitamin B-12 0.00µg
Vitamin A, RAE 0µg
Vitamin A, IU 4IU
Vitamin D (D2 + D3) 0.0µg
Vitamin D 0IU

Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated 0.011g
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated 0.003g
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated 0.014g
Cholesterol 0mg

Tips on buying quality saffron

In a way, Saffron is one of the toughest spices to buy, because it’s so very expensive – almost as much as gold! Buying from a reliable supplier is the absolute must. Here are some tips on what to look out for. Buy only pure red threads of Saffron. Saffron strands are plucked out from orchids, and the base of each strand is white and yellow. Only the top of each strand where all the flavour is contained is red. Usually, to save costs, the flavourless yellow portions are left intact and mixed in as well. Some traders as a result dye their Saffron in red colouring, sometimes a natural red, sometimes not. To test, you can dip saffron threads in water. If the water turns red, dye has been used. Saffron will always turn water into a yellow colour instead. For more details on Saffron, see our previous article here. In case you’re still unsure, please refer to our quality and grade standards here when buying good quality whole Saffron strands. You can even buy a small sample from us for $2 to see what the best quality is like!

Data taken from United States Department of Agriculture