Saffron, kesar, zafran, kong posh: one spice, many names
The same red thread is kesar in Delhi, zafran in Lucknow, kong posh in Pampore and kumkumapoo in Chennai. What the names share, where they come from, and what none of them guarantees.
The Journal
Saffron is the most adulterated spice in the world and dry fruit is graded on things a photograph will not show you. These are the guides we would want before spending our own money — how to check what you are being sold, what the grades actually mean, and what a fair price looks like.
-
-
A dry fruit gift guide that is not just a bigger box
Most festive dry fruit boxes are engineered to look generous and cost little. Here is what to check before buying one, whether from us or anyone else.
-
Ajwa or Medjool: which dates to actually buy
Two very different fruits sold under one word. What separates Ajwa from Medjool, and how to tell a fresh tray from one that has been sitting.
-
Why good dried apricots are brown, not orange
The bright orange dried apricot is the processed one. Here is what sulphur dioxide actually does, and why unsulphured khubani looks so much worse and tastes so much better.
-
How to choose dried figs worth eating
The white powder on a dried fig is not mould, and the palest figs in the shop are usually the most processed. A short guide to reading anjeer properly.
-
What the GI tag on Kashmir saffron actually certifies
Kashmir saffron carries a Geographical Indication. It certifies less than most buyers assume, and understanding the gap is the point.
-
How to use saffron threads without wasting them
Most saffron is wasted at the point of use, not the point of purchase. Blooming it properly costs nothing and roughly doubles what you get from a jar.
-
What saffron actually costs per gram in India
A gram of saffron sells for wildly different prices in India. Here is what drives the range, and the price points that should make you suspicious rather than pleased.
-
Mongra, Lachha and the grades nobody explains
Two names do most of the work in the Kashmiri saffron trade, and neither is regulated. Here is what they actually describe, and what the difference is worth.
-
How to tell real Kashmiri saffron from fake
Saffron is among the most adulterated spices in the world. Here are the five checks worth running at home — and the two everyone repeats that prove nothing at all.