Where is saffron actually grown?

A good question! Many people in the Middle East would probably answer. In fact, the largest quantities of saffron crocuses are produced in Iran. Among other things, of course, because it is cheaper to produce here. The production of saffron requires a lot of manual labor.

Traditionally, however, saffron has been cultivated for centuries in the south of France in the region around Loriol du Comptat, in the Comptat Venaissin.

Why is saffron even more expensive than caviar and truffles?

The cultivation and production of saffron is not suitable for industrial agriculture. The fragile flowers must be picked and processed with care and by hand. To produce the most expensive spice in the world, at least 1 hour of fine manual work is required. Each flower has around 3 filaments. To produce 1g of saffron, 200 flowers are needed.

This is also the reason for its high price. A gram of real saffron costs between €32 and €40 on the world market. It is therefore even more expensive than caviar and truffles. The cheapest saffron can therefore be found where workers earn less.

crocus of autumn

Unlike the crocuses that we all know as harbingers of spring, the saffron crocus blooms in autumn.

The crocus bulbs are planted in the ground in summer and from October onwards they begin to bloom overnight.

This flowering period lasts only a few days and requires a very intensive harvesting period. Each bulb produces one flower. However, a new flower grows when the first one is harvested. This is why the flowers are harvested very early in the morning every day.

So it is that one morning in autumn the family wakes up to a sea of ​​purple flowers with fiery red hearts in front of their house. The flowers are picked by hand early in the morning. Then the red filaments (pistils) are pulled out of the flower with tweezers and then immediately dried at 50°C. This drying process takes place in small quantities and requires a lot of experience and precision, as it has a decisive influence on the aroma of the spice.

Our Safraniers - Saffron production is a family affair

Our saffron growers Guylaine and Stephane are fascinated by botany. They have a special feeling for unusual plants that require a lot of time and passion. The small family business has been dedicated to growing saffron since 2012.

The saffron crocuses grow right in front of the family's house in the town of Loriol du Comptat here in Provence. Guylaine's grandparents already farmed these lands. And even today the whole family works together when it comes to the (very labor-intensive) harvest.

Manually and without chemicals

The land is cultivated without any chemicals. You can see some very strange things in the fields. Burly jute bags and plastic bottles on skewers are scattered all over the fields. Guylaine explains that these are natural ways to keep moles and wild boars away from the precious crocus bulbs. In fact, the jute bags contain human hair (from the village hairdresser) whose smell deters wild boars. And the noise the wind makes in the bottles deters moles from settling in the middle of the saffron crocuses.

Saffron in Sweet Dishes and Fruit

The fruit that Guylaine uses for her jams also comes from her own harvest. She especially loves local fruit such as quince, Méréville (also called Citre/Gigérine and a type of white melon) or Guyot pears. These underline the taste of the saffron particularly well. The jams are made exclusively with her own ripe fruit, directly after the harvest.

Would you like to try saffron from the South of France?

Delicious sweet Guyot pears from Provence meet saffron to create an exceptionally fine jam.

Available to order here in our shop !