The saffron in perfumery
Saffron or Persian red gold is the most expensive spice in the world. Its use dates back to 1500 BC in ancient Greece, and it is coveted for its singular scent. It is used as a spice in cooking but also as a medicine, as a dye, or in cosmetics. Saffron also has the power to spice up perfumes.
History of saffron
Saffron was discovered in frescoes on the Greek island of Santorini, in the Akrotiri excavations, dating back to 1500 BC. Long before that, traces of saffron were found in pigments discovered in prehistoric paintings dating back 50 000 years.
According to Greek mythology, Hermes wounded one of his friends, three drops of blood fell to the ground, at that point a beautiful purple flower with 3 red pistils in the heart then appeared. The saffron became the symbol of the resurrection.
Saffron was present in the formula of the famous perfume Kypi, the first known eau de toilette in the world.
Cleopatra used saffron in her bath in order to give her skin a beautiful colour.
Saffron is also used in offerings to Buddha.
Its presence can also be noted in the Song of Songs.
Saffron was also used in recipes for preparing products against the plague.
Origin of saffron
Botanical name of saffron: Crocus Sativus
Family: domestic crocus
Its origin is rather Mediterranean, maybe from Crete. Saffron is a plant with a bulb whose flowers can bloom in a single day. The flowers are harvested in the morning in late autumn so that the petals remain closed. The three red filaments of the saffron, Za'Faran Persian, are then delicately removed in an operation called pruning. Then these precious pistils will be dried in a ventilated room.
The pistil, consisting of 3 stigmas per flower, is the only part consumed.
The low yield of its cultivation along with the fact that it is harvested and then pruned by hand, explains its expensive price of 20 000 to 40 000 euros.
It takes nearly 150 000 to 200 000 flowers to obtain 1 kg of saffron pistils or stigmas.
Saffron producers
The countries that harvest saffron are, in order of importance, Iran (60 tonnes per year), Spain, India, Greece, Morocco and Italy.
In France there are more and more initiatives, especially in Aveyron. There are even saffron cultures on the roofs of large buildings in Paris.
I was lucky enough to be invited by the company Bien Elevated founded by 4 sisters. I was able to harvest and prune the saffron pistils, and I realised how delicate the various operations were. Before leaving this magical place, we enjoyed a saffron herbal tea accompanied by saffron-scented madeleines, a delight! Their saffron harvest is sold in the Monoprix shops.
You have to be very careful, because many qualities of saffron are adulterated, mixed with other products, hence the importance of buying the real pistils or filaments and not the saffron powder.
Properties of saffron
This spice is recommended as an herbal tea to help digestion. It protects the liver and helps to fight against cholesterol. It combats colds, soothes coughs, and is also used as a massage cream to soothe aches and pains. Saffron makes its appearance in cosmetic creams for its anti-oxidant and anti-wrinkle properties.
Saffron in cuisine
It is widely used in cooking, perfect with fish, in couscous but also in risotto alla Milanese and in many Italian dishes.
Saffron in perfumery
Natural saffron is not allowed in the perfumery because it contains safrol, a component that causes allergies.
The olfactory constituents of saffron are saffronal and lanierone.
The raw material authorised in perfumery is saffronal, the olfactory principle of saffron that is isolated from the natural raw material. The saffrein developed by Givaudan is a synthetic molecule.
Scent of saffron
It is a dark, leathery, spicy note, with tarred effects and a hint of honey. A scent often found in perfumes for men, but sometimes also in fragrances for women.
It is a striking, assertive scent, rather a base note, it often accompanies woody fragrances, worked with woody notes of oud wood, very common in Middle Eastern perfumes.
Saffron or saffronal can accompany leathery, oriental, chypre, gourmand, woody notes, possibly floral notes with character such as iris, rose, violet. It is a note that can accompany citrus notes such as orange for example, the talent of the perfumer will then be important to calm the ardour of this spice.
It can accompany other spices such as cinnamon, clove, pepper.
Perfumes containing saffron
Here is the list of fragrances containing saffron:
- Saffron by Jo Malone
- Safran Troublant by l’Artisan Parfumeur
- Black Saffron by Byredo
- Eau by Néroli Hermès
- Al Oudh by l’Artisan Parfumeur
- Safran Nobile by L. Loison
- Rose Safran by L’Occitane
- Ozkan by Sylvaine Delacourte Paris
Sylvaine Delacourte fragrances
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