The Saffron Shop

Buy Saffron Online — Afghan Super Negin

Lab report 004389Crocin 296.5 · Category I
Herat, AfghanistanFamily fields · one lot
Super NeginWhole all-red threads
Ships same dayBy 4 PM ET · Mon–Sat
30 daysMoney back · free US ship $39+

Buying saffron online is mostly an exercise in deciding who to believe. The listings look identical, the words are the same on all of them, and the price runs from about $5 to $22 a gram for what is described as the same thing. So here is our answer to that problem, in the order it matters.

The numbers first. Our current lot carries Herat government laboratory report 004389: crocin 296.5, picrocrocin 114.2, safranal 32.7, artificial colorants absent. That is ISO 3632 Category I on every tested parameter. The full report is published, with the lot code, so you can match it to the bottle that arrives.

Then the product. All-red Afghan Super Negin threads from our family's own fields in the Herat highlands, hand-packed into sealed crystal-clear bottles in Lynn, Massachusetts. Never powder, never blended, never a mix of grades sold under the best grade's name. About 250 threads to the gram.

Then the terms. Orders placed by 4 PM Eastern ship the same day, Monday to Saturday, from Lynn, Massachusetts. Free US shipping over $39. Thirty days to send it back for a full refund if it is not what this page says it is, which is a promise that only costs us money if we are wrong.

How much to buy

A pinch is about 0.1 g and seasons a dish for four, so a 1 g bottle covers about 10 dishes and a 3 g bottle about 30. The 3 g is our most-ordered size at about $1.50 a dish; the 10 g brings that to about $0.99. If you have never cooked with real saffron, start at 1 g or 2 g and find out how little you actually need. The saffron calculator converts threads to grams to cost per serving.

Comparing sellers before you buy? That is the right instinct. Read our review of the ten best saffron brands in the USA, and the head-to-head against Zaran, Heray and Rumi, where we rank ourselves on published lab data and price per gram and say plainly where they beat us.

Facts you can check

The saffron, in numbers you can check.

Saffron is the most adulterated spice in the world, so nothing below is an adjective. Every line is either a figure from the laboratory report or a term we are bound by, and each one can be checked before you spend anything.

Origin Herat Province, AfghanistanFamily harvests since 1996
Cut & grade Super Negin · ISO 3632 Category IWhole all-red threads, lab-graded
Lab report Crocin 296.5 · Picrocrocin 114.2 · Safranal 32.7Herat Directorate of Agriculture · Cat. I requires crocin ≥ 200
Price $20 (1 g) → $99 (10 g)$9.90–$20 per gram · everyday prices, no strikethroughs
Guarantee 30-day money-backSame-day dispatch by 4 PM ET, Mon–Sat · Free US shipping ≥ $39 · $6.95 below
Start with the 3 g bottle — $45 or read the full lab report first

Founded by Amrudin Qutubzad · Lynn, Massachusetts · Est. 1996

Raihan Saffron crystal-clear acrylic bottle of Super Negin saffron threads on a dark backdrop with saffron crocus flowers
Raihan Saffron ISO 3632 laboratory report card showing crocin 296.5 Lab report · Crocin 296.5
Herat Directorate of Agriculture
Super Negin · Cat. I Herat · Est. 1996

Asked often · Answered plainly

Where can I buy real saffron online?

Directly from Raihan Saffron — ISO 3632 Category I Super Negin from Herat, Afghanistan, lab-tested at crocin 296.5. Prices run $20 (1 g) to $99 (10 g), free US shipping over $39, 30-day money-back guarantee.

How much does saffron cost per gram?

At Raihan, $9.90 to $20 per gram by size: 1 g $20 · 2 g $35 · 3 g $45 · 5 g $65 · 10 g $99. The per-gram price falls as the bottle grows — no strikethroughs, no games.

How do I know it’s real?

Read the lab report: crocin 296.5 (Category I requires at least 200), picrocrocin 114.2, safranal 32.7 — Herat Directorate of Agriculture. And if your kitchen ever disagrees with the lab, 30 days, money back.

  • ISO 3632 Category ILaboratory-graded
  • Hand-harvested HeratAfghanistan
  • Free U.S. shippingOn orders over $39
  • 30-day guaranteeFull potency, refunded

7 products

About our saffron

Raihan Saffron is a premium saffron house. We control our saffron from source to packaging — hand-picked at dawn in Herat, Afghanistan and hand-packed in Lynn, Massachusetts. Every lot is laboratory-graded against ISO 3632 Category I and sold as whole, all-red Super Negin threads — never powder, never dyed.

How to use saffron

Use 10 to 15 threads per pot of tea or rice, bloomed in warm water or milk for 5 to 10 minutes before adding. For risotto or paella, use about 1 to 2 pinches (~20 threads) per four servings. Less is more — saffron should warm a dish, not overpower it.

How to store saffron

Store sealed in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. Stored well, our saffron keeps full potency for about 24 months — and every bottle is dated, so you always know when it was packed.

Wholesale & foodservice

We ship to restaurants, cafés, tea shops, and specialty grocers across the United States. The 10 g bottle is our most-ordered foodservice size. See our wholesale page for a rate sheet.

Find your bottle

Three ways to start.

For first-timers

The 1 g starter bottle

About 250 threads — enough for 15–20 family meals. The lowest-risk way to taste the difference.

$20Shop 1 g
Most popular

For weekly cooks

The 3 g kitchen bottle

A full season of rice nights, teas, and desserts — the best balance of value and freshness. Ships free.

$45Shop 3 g

For gifting

The gift bundle

A sealed burgundy-and-gold gift box with a printed how-to-use guide — ready to hand over.

$119Shop gift

Every bottle, compared.

BottleThreadsMakesBest forPrice
1 g bottle ~250 15–20 meals First taste $20 Shop →
2 g bottle ~500 30–40 meals Weekly cooking $35 Shop →
3 g bottle ~750 45–60 meals Most popular · ships free $45 Shop →
5 g bottle ~1,250 75–100 meals Households & gifting $65 Shop →
10 g bottle ~2,500 150–200 meals Restaurants & foodservice $99 Shop →
Macro of all-red Super Negin saffron threads from Herat, Afghanistan

Source to seal

Picked in Herat. Packed in Lynn.

Every bottle in this collection is hand-harvested at dawn in the Herat valley of western Afghanistan, where the high-desert climate produces the longest, deepest-red Super Negin stigmas in the world. Each lot is laboratory-graded against ISO 3632 Category I, then shipped to our small facility in Lynn, Massachusetts, where it is bottled by hand and sent out the same day, Monday through Saturday.

  • Hand-harvested at dawn in Herat, Afghanistan
  • Laboratory-graded to ISO 3632 Category I
  • All-red threads only — never powder, never dyed
  • Hand-bottled in Lynn, MA and shipped the same day, Mon–Sat

Still deciding?

Start with the 1 g bottle — about 250 threads, enough for 15–20 family meals, at the lowest risk.

Shop the 1 g bottleHow to bloom saffron

Buyer questions

The questions we get most.

Which size should I order if I'm new to cooking with saffron?

Start with the 1 g bottle or the 2 g bottle. The 1 g gives you about 250 threads — enough for 15–20 family meals — and is the lowest-risk way to try the brand. The 2 g is what most of our cooks settle into within their first month.

What does "Super Negin" and ISO 3632 Category I mean?

Super Negin is the grade name for long, all-red saffron stigmas with no yellow style attached — the highest visual grade. ISO 3632 Category I is a laboratory standard that measures crocin (color), picrocrocin (bitterness/flavor), and safranal (aroma). Category I is the strongest tier on the scale, and every Raihan lot is tested against it.

How long does saffron last?

Stored sealed, in a cool dry place, away from direct sunlight, our saffron retains full potency for about 24 months. The bottle you receive is dated — you'll always know when it was packed.

How much saffron should I use per dish?

About 10–15 threads per pot of rice or tea, bloomed in warm water or milk for 5–10 minutes before adding. For risotto or paella, 1–2 pinches (~20 threads) per 4 servings. Less is more — saffron should warm a dish, not overpower it.

Is the gift bundle ready to give as-is?

Yes — the gift bundle ships in a sealed burgundy-and-gold gift box with a printed how-to-use guide, ready to hand over. We can include a gift note at checkout if you'd like.

How does shipping work?

Orders placed by 4 PM Eastern ship the same day, Monday to Saturday, from Lynn, Massachusetts — Sunday orders ship Monday morning. U.S. shipping is $6.95 and orders over $39 ship free. We also ship to Canada ($9.60, 40% off the regular $16) and the United Kingdom ($15.60, 40% off the regular $26); the free-shipping threshold applies to U.S. orders only.

Do you offer wholesale or restaurant pricing?

Yes — we ship to restaurants, cafés, and tea shops across the U.S. The 10 g bottle is our most-ordered foodservice size. Reach out for a wholesale rate sheet.

What if my bottle doesn't taste right?

Email us within 30 days and we'll refund the bottle or send a replacement. Our 30-day money-back guarantee is on every order.

See all FAQs