Customer Reviews

Spicy World Spanish Saffron Filaments, 1-Gram Acrylic Box (Pack of 3)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Saffron is unusually difficult to find in my local market so I've been trying out several different varieties available here on Amazon...nothing beats the flavor of Saffron!

I had high hopes for this one since it is packaged in an acrylic box (unlike Frontier brands which is a competitively priced slightly more expensive version that uses pouches that smell like a pool liner - argh!). The price was suspiciously low so I thought I'd give it a try with the hope of finding an affordable alternative.

Unfortunately this simply doesn't measure up even to that of the Frontier brand. While the packaging is STRONGLY preferred...this simply wasn't fresh enough. The flavor was a bit more mild and it required more than double the quantity I've been using for a simple rice dish with the other brand.

Notice the expiration date...2017. As of this writing in early 2010 it is good to know the use by date is not near. On the other hand, a seven year window leaves something to be desired.

Bottom Line - Preferred packaging but less fresh than "other" brand sold here on Amazon. However, other brand uses less desirable liner that lingers. I'm still searching for a good alternative and will report when I find one.

Given the rather exceptional rating to this product, I had expected them to be all pure red saffron stigmas. However, on closer examination of the product, the style/stigma of the saffron plant (yellow in color) seems to have been included. Basically, the yellow stigma has NO CULINARY VALUE, that means NO AROMA, FLAVOR or COLOR. The yellow stigma left attached to the red saffron adds upto 50% DEAD weight to the saffron, and you pay for it.

Conclusion: Look elsewhere!

I have tested numerous brands of saffron over the years, and consider myself an unofficial "expert" on the matter. The fact of the matter is, there are very few saffrons that are as good as this one. It gave our dishes a deep color, and the taste was just fantastic! You can tell cheaper saffrons by the way the color disintegrates throughout the dish - so beware of other kinds.

The price is fantastic too! I'll be back for some more!

From the looks of the package this saffron is exposed to light. The reason some views say that this saffron is weak is because some of the important chemicals involved in the aroma and flavor of saffron break down relatively fast in the presence of light. As such you'll notice high quality brands use opaque packaging, i would avoid this one if you're looking for quality.

Purchase this for my spanish rice recipes. It is also great for my clams, mussels and seafood recipes. You only need a very small quatity to add to the taste. It is a good quality product and will not hesitate to purchase it again.

Received the 3-pack of saffron, but this time all three boxes were inside a sealed plastic bag instead of each box being wrapped separately. I thought the separately wrapped acrylic boxes was a good idea for shelf life. I also noticed a lot of yellow strands this time, but I don't know what that means. I expected the consistent dark red strands I got before.

These were a deep red as good saffron should be. Excellent aroma, good taste. I will buy this again.

Copious quantity, amazing price, very good quality. Much more fresh than at the grocery store. We'll see how it holds up over time.

just what i ordered, great spice, quick delivery and great price.
will order again.

I haven't actually made anything with it yet, but this saffron is definitely fragrant and appears to be high quality. There's enough in the little box to last me for quite a while (if I had to guess, I'd say it's about 2 or 3 tablespoons, but that could be really inaccurate.) I had a few issues getting the box open without spilling the saffron everywhere, but I have a feeling that someone with a nice strong fingernail would be able to open it fairly easily.