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Saffron
The dried stigmas of a sterile autumn crocus, hand-picked at roughly 440,000 threads to the kilogram.
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Saffron vs Falafel
Compare Saffron (Iran) and Falafel (Egypt) side by side — origin, maker, price, materials and what the difference actually means.
The short answer
- Country Iran Egypt
- Region Khorasan, Iran Egypt
- Made since Cultivated since at least the 7th century BC Disputed, possibly as early as the 4th century AD
- Verified record Yes No
- Source Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Palestin
Side by side
Download as PDF| Field | Saffron | Falafel |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Iran | Egypt |
| Type | food | food |
| Maker | — | Egyptian Coptic Christians |
| Region | Khorasan, Iran | Egypt |
| Made since | Cultivated since at least the 7th century BC | Disputed, possibly as early as the 4th century AD |
| Verified record | Yes | No |
| Market trend | $934/kg (−33.6% since 2016) | — |
| Source | Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Palestin |
Saffron
Saffron is the dried crimson stigma of Crocus sativus, a plant that cannot reproduce without human hands. Around 440,000 stigmas make one kilogram, every one of them picked by hand during a few October mornings, which is why it has been the world's most expensive spice for most of recorded history. Iran produces around 90 per cent of the global crop, most of it in Khorasan.
- Three stigmas are cut from each flower, by hand.
- About 440,000 dried stigmas make one kilogram, from roughly 150,000 flowers.
- Around forty hours of picking go into a single kilogram.
- The flowers open only in autumn, and are gathered in the early morning.
- Crocus sativus is sterile and has no wild population; every plant is propagated by dividing corms.
Falafel
One theory traces falafel to Egypt’s Coptic Christian community, who needed a filling meat substitute during religious fasting periods. From
- Egyptian falafel is traditionally made with fava beans, while Levantine falafel usually uses chickpeas.
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