Spanish Coupe Saffron

The price of Spanish saffron tends to be expensive because of the rarity in harvesting saffron threads, but also because the quality is of the best saffron you can get from the La Mancha region. Luckily, most recipes that require saffron only need around 2-3 saffron threads per serving.

Spanish Coupe Saffron Q&A

What is Spanish saffron used for?

Spanish saffron is used in most paella recipes, as well as recipes for risotto or bouillabaisse. Saffron is often also used to make homemade Spanish rice. It's a spice that adds a level of luxury and decadence in color, aroma and flavor.

What is Spanish saffron?

Spanish saffron is a spice that comes from the stigma of a Crocus sativus flower. This flower blooms only 3 weeks each fall. Bulbs produce only 2-9 flowers/season, and these flowers contain long, red-orange stigmas. These stigmas are handpicked from the flowers, and it takes around 100 flowers to produce a single gram of Spanish saffron.

Why is Spanish saffron so expensive?

Because of the nature of both handpicking and harvesting the stigmas from the flowers that create Spanish saffron, the price for saffron is high. In addition to the harvesting process, the flowers from which saffron comes from only bloom for 3 weeks every year during fall, making them even more of an exclusive find.