Themar Al Fedhi Trading Your Trusted Saffron Partner
We deliver excellence at every step, from harvest to your door
Guaranteed Premium Quality
Every batch is lab-tested and certified for purity, ensuring you receive authentic saffron that meets international standards.
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Fast, reliable delivery worldwide with proper packaging to preserve freshness and protect your investment.
Trusted by Professionals
Chefs, retailers, and importers worldwide rely on us for consistent quality and dependable service.
Competitive Wholesale Pricing
Direct sourcing from farms eliminates middlemen, allowing us to offer the best prices without compromising quality.
100% Pure Premium Saffron
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Authentic Saffron
Harvested with Excellence – Direct from farm to your business with guaranteed quality and competitive wholesale pricing.
Lab-Tested Quality
Worldwide Delivery
Direct From Farms
Al themar Al Fedhi Trading company specializes in sourcing, producing, and exporting premium saffron with guaranteed authenticity. We work directly with experienced farmers to bring you the finest saffron threads, ensuring every batch meets the highest international standards. From farm to your business, we maintain strict quality control at every step. Whether you’re a chef, retailer, or importer, we provide competitive wholesale pricing and reliable global delivery.
Our Products
Premium Saffron Grades
Iranian saffron, known globally as Persian saffron, is celebrated for its exceptional quality, rich aroma, and vibrant color. Although cultivated in only a few regions of Iran, it accounts for over 90% of the world’s saffron production and is exported to more than 53 countries worldwide.
Iranian saffron is available in several premium types, including Super Negin, Negin, Sargol, Poushali, Bunch, Powdered, and White (Konj) saffron, each defined by its physical structure and chemical properties. Key quality factors include stigma maturity, coloring strength, aroma, and flavor intensity, all influenced by precise cultivation, harvesting, drying, and storage methods. Locally known as Zafaran, Persian saffron is the global benchmark for purity and excellence.
Sargol Saffron
Sargol saffron features shorter red stigmas than Negin, with all yellow or white styles fully removed. Its coloring strength and quality are comparable to Negin, as it consists of pure red stigmas and is derived from Poushal saffron. Sargol is available in different grades, ranging from premium (220+ USP) with thicker stigmas and minimal breakage to Grade One (around 200 USP) with smaller, more broken strands. In general, fewer broken particles indicate higher quality.
Super Negin Iranian Saffron
Super Negin is the highest and most luxurious grade of Iranian saffron. It consists of long, thick, perfectly straight red stigmas, completely free from yellow styles, offering the finest appearance among all saffron types.Known for its exceptional coloring power and rich aroma, Super Negin is ideal for premium culinary and luxury applications. Its production requires expert manual skills and advanced processing, making it the most exclusive and valuable variety of Persian saffron.
Negin Iranian Saffron
Negin saffron ranks second after Super Negin in quality and price. The main difference lies in stigma length and appearance, while its purity and strength remain exceptional. Negin features red saffron threads with a natural shape and offers a high coloring power (over 220 USP). Thanks to its premium quality and more affordable price, it is a popular choice for both household and commercial use. It delivers excellent aroma and flavor, making it ideal for everyday cooking as well as professional culinary applications.
Poushal (Filament) Saffron
Bunch (Dasteh) Saffron
Bunch saffron, locally known as Dasteh or Dokhtar-Pich, includes both red stigmas and yellow styles bundled together. Due to the high style content, it has lower coloring strength and a more affordable market value. This saffron is commonly used for bulk and everyday cooking where strong color isn’t required.
Powder (Ground) Saffron
Powder saffron is made by drying and grinding saffron stigmas. It’s easy to use in cooking, blends seamlessly, and requires no pre-soaking. Affordable and convenient, its coloring and aroma depend on the saffron type used, but it carries a higher risk of adulteration compared to saffron threads.
Konj (White) Saffron
Konj saffron, also called white saffron, consists solely of the yellow styles of the saffron flower, with no red stigmas. Unlike red saffron, it has no coloring power, as key compounds like Crocin are concentrated in the red parts. It retains more moisture due to its texture and is often used in aromatic infusions, teas, and traditional remedies rather than for coloring.
In addition to Persian saffron, there are also Spanish, Kashmiri, Moroccan, Italian, and Greek varieties, which will be discussed in the following sections:
Spanish Saffron Grades & Varieties
Spanish saffron ranks just behind Iranian saffron in quality and flavor. Spain is one of the world’s largest saffron producers, offering several varieties, each with unique characteristics:
Coupe Saffron – The highest grade of Spanish saffron, made exclusively from red stigmas with no yellow style. It is prized for its intense aroma, deep red color, and potent flavor, making it ideal for gourmet culinary use.
Mancha Saffron – Includes red stigmas with a small portion of yellow style. Known for its vibrant color and strong flavor, it is widely used in paella, stews, and desserts, and resembles Iran’s Poushal saffron in appearance.
Rio Saffron – Cultivated mainly in Spain’s La Mancha region, this variety features deep red stigmas and a distinct floral aroma. Valued for its flavor, it is commonly used in traditional Spanish dishes.
Kashmiri Saffron Varieties
Kashmiri saffron, also known as Kashmir Kesar, is renowned worldwide for its vibrant red color, strong aroma, and rich flavor. Native to the Kashmir region of India, it is highly prized in culinary, medicinal, and luxury markets.
There are two main types of Kashmiri saffron:
Mongra Saffron – Consists exclusively of red stigmas, carefully handpicked and dried to preserve maximum aroma and flavor. Mongra is considered the highest quality Kashmiri saffron and commands a premium price.
Lachha Saffron – Includes red stigmas with some yellow parts of the flower, often with saffron crumbs. While slightly lower in quality than Mongra, Lachha saffron remains highly aromatic and flavorful at a more accessible price.
Discover Moroccan Saffron
Moroccan saffron is primarily cultivated in the Taliouine region of Morocco and harvested through a careful, labor-intensive process. It is produced in four main grades, each with distinct characteristics:
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Grade One: Flat red stigmas, similar in quality and appearance to Super Negin Iranian saffron.
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Grade Two (Thread): Slightly less intense in color than Grade One, comparable to Negin saffron.
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Grade Three (Tied Bunch): Red threads tied together in a cluster, offering moderate flavor and coloring power.
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Grade Four (Bunch): The lowest grade, often used in bulk or as a coloring agent, with less intense aroma and flavor compared to higher grades.
Types of Italian Saffron
Italy may not be a major saffron producer, but several regions cultivate this prized spice, each offering unique characteristics. Italian saffron types are categorized by their region of origin:
L’Aquila (Abruzzo)
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Characteristics: Long, vivid red threads with a strong aroma.
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Usage: Ideal for risottos, pasta, and desserts; highly valued by chefs.
Sardinia
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Characteristics: Deep red threads with golden tips and a slightly milder flavor.
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Usage: Perfect for seafood dishes, broths, and saffron-infused liqueurs.
Lombardy
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Characteristics: Delicate, bright red threads with a subtle floral aroma.
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Usage: Enhances rice dishes such as saffron risotto.
Tuscany
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Characteristics: Balanced flavor with floral and earthy notes.
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Usage: Adds depth to soups, stews, and sauces.
Umbria
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Characteristics: Intense red threads with a robust flavor.
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Usage: Used in traditional Umbrian dishes, including saffron bread and pastries.
Types of Greece Saffron
Greece is a small-scale saffron producer, yet its saffron, known as Krokos Kozanis, is highly valued for its rich heritage and distinctive flavor. Greek saffron is renowned for its earthy, husky notes combined with complex honey undertones, offering a flavor profile that is slightly more bitter yet intensely aromatic compared to other saffron varieties.
Most Asked Questions
Q1: What makes Iranian saffron superior to other saffron in the world?
A: Iranian saffron is recognized for its exceptional quality, vibrant red color, strong aroma, and rich flavor. The saffron flowers are harvested manually, ensuring careful selection of the finest stigmas, which sets it apart from other countries’ saffron.
Q2: How is Persian saffron classified?
A: Persian saffron is classified based on stigma length, appearance, and purity. The four main types are: Super Negin, Negin, Sargol, and Poushal, each with distinct qualities, coloring strength, and uses.
Q3: What is the difference between Super Negin and Negin saffron?
A: Super Negin has longer, thicker, and perfectly straight red stigmas with a richer red color, making it the highest-quality saffron. Negin saffron is slightly shorter with a natural shape but still offers excellent coloring and aroma.
Q4: What is Sargol saffron, and how is it different from Negin?
A: Sargol saffron contains only red stigmas with all yellow styles removed. It is similar in coloring power to Negin but generally shorter in size and may include small broken pieces, making it slightly less premium.
Q5: What is Poushal (Filament) saffron?
A: Poushal saffron includes red stigmas with attached yellow styles (1–15 mm long). It has lower coloring power than all-red types but is widely used due to its affordability. Poushal is classified into Grade One, Two, and Three, depending on stigma size, style length, and color strength.
Q6: Which saffron type is best for professional culinary use?
A: Super Negin saffron is ideal for high-end culinary applications due to its intense color, aroma, and premium appearance. Negin and Sargol are also excellent choices, while Poushal is more suitable for home cooking or bulk use.
Q7: Can I choose saffron based on budget and usage?
A: Yes. Super Negin is the most expensive but offers the highest quality. Negin and Sargol provide excellent performance at a mid-range price, and Poushal is affordable and suitable for dishes where ultra-high coloring or appearance is not critical.
Q8: Why is Super Negin saffron more expensive than other types?
A: Super Negin is handpicked with care, contains perfectly long, thick, red stigmas, and has the deepest color and strongest aroma, making it the most premium and rare type of Persian saffron.
Q9: How does the harvesting method affect saffron quality?
A: Manual harvesting ensures only the best stigmas are selected, minimizing damage and preserving flavor, aroma, and coloring strength. Machine harvesting reduces quality, which is why Iranian saffron remains highly prized.
Q10: Are all Persian saffron types equally suitable for home use?
A: Yes, but it depends on your needs. For premium dishes and professional use, choose Super Negin. For everyday cooking, Negin, Sargol, or Poushal provide excellent aroma and coloring at a more affordable price.
Need Help Choosing?
Our saffron experts are ready to guide you to the perfect grade for your needs. They provide personalized advice to ensure you get the best quality and value for every use.