What is the taste of pure and quality Iranian saffron?

What is the taste of pure and quality Iranian saffron?

What are the characteristics of pure and high quality saffron?
Several main factors determine the quality of saffron and are as follows:

Color: Saffron stigmas are red and their ends, which are composed of cream, are yellow.
Saffron, which is offered in different types of saffron, super gem, gem, straw and bunch,
the amount of which in pure and high quality saffron is over 230 units.
Aroma: The smell of pure saffron is sweet and similar to the smell of honey, vanilla, alfalfa and tobacco. Also, the active ingredient in saffron perfume is safranal, the amount of which in pure saffron is between 20 and 50 units.
Taste: The taste of pure saffron is not sweet despite its smell and it is bitter and slightly astringent.
The bitter taste of pure saffron is due to the presence of picrocrocin in it, which should be more than 80 units.
Quality and standard grade used:
The highest quality saffron in the world is grown and produced in Iran and is usually sold as graded.
The grade of saffron is often printed on its packaging, and of course, first grade saffron has the best quality.
The ISO 3632 standard is also related to measuring the quality of saffron in the world and is usually written on the packaging of pure and high quality saffron.
Age: Like other food products, the fresher the saffron, the higher its quality.
So when buying saffron, check for symptoms such as broken saffron strands, which may indicate that it is old or counterfeit.
Also note that pure and quality saffron should be dry and fat-free.
High quality saffron has a high price due to its complex and sensitive production process and for this reason it is called red gold.
Therefore, saffron, which has a low price, may be mixed with other substances or contain additive chemicals.
Packaging: To maintain the freshness and quality of saffron,
it should always be kept in a cool place, in a closed metal or wooden container and away from direct light.
What is the difference between pure saffron and counterfeit saffron?
To detect counterfeit saffron, in addition to recognizing the characteristics of pure saffron,
you should also be familiar with the characteristics of counterfeit saffron, which are:

Counterfeit saffron can be made from saffron stigma creams, coconut noodles, safflower plant and the like, which are made into saffron with artificial colors.
The taste of fake saffron is sweet because of the sweets such as honey and sugar that are added to it.
The appearance of counterfeit saffron strings is indistinct, broken and tangled (while pure and high quality saffron strings are horn-shaped).
The dried strands of counterfeit saffron are shiny.
To increase the weight of counterfeit saffron, oil is added to it. So if you press the fake saffron on a piece of napkin or paper, it will leave some fat.
The coloring speed of counterfeit saffron is much faster than pure saffron.

In general, it can be said that the taste of pure saffron is a real secret,
because it seems that everyone has a different experience of tasting saffron. In fact, saffron has several notes of different flavors including flowers, musk, mushrooms, spicy, fresh like the sea and bitter.

How can the original saffron be distinguished by its taste?
To distinguish pure saffron from counterfeit, you can test the taste of pure saffron. If you feel a bitter taste, this is the original saffron. But if you feel the taste of sweetness, saffron has sweetening additives and is counterfeit.