{"title":"Afghan Saffron","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfghan saffron is \u003cem\u003eCrocus sativus\u003c\/em\u003e grown in Herat province, where roughly 95% of Afghanistan's crop is produced. High altitude, dry autumns and cold nights yield long, deep-red stigmas. Every jar here is single-origin Herat — all-red threads with the pale style cut away, harvest-dated, and never blended.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhy Herat\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSaffron rewards hard country. Herat's high-desert valleys give the crop the cold nights and dry autumn air it needs, and the province grows about 95% of Afghanistan's saffron. We buy from one province and one lot at a time, which is why every jar carries a harvest date instead of a vague country of origin.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat Super Negin actually means\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSuper Negin describes the thread itself: long, all-red stigmas with the pale yellow style removed. It is a real and meaningful distinction, and worth stating plainly — it is a visual grade assigned by the seller, not a laboratory measurement. Assay results are published in full on our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/lab-report\"\u003elab report page\u003c\/a\u003e as each lot is tested.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne listing, five sizes — 1 g, 2 g, 3 g, 5 g and 10 g, all the same saffron. A single gram is about 250 threads, roughly sixty cups of tea. The larger jars bring the price per gram down from $14.99 to $6.00. Free U.S. shipping over $50, and thirty days to change your mind.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"gift-duo-2x1g","title":"Saffron Gift Box — Two Crystal Bottles (2 × 1g)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOne to give, one to keep.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo crystal bottles of Herati Super Negin — because nobody hands over saffron this good without wanting some back.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2 × 1 g all-red Super Negin\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHarvest-dated on every bottle\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSingle origin: Herat Province, Afghanistan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Authentic Afghan Saffron","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53249049329953,"sku":"AAS-DUO-2X1G","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0995\/8110\/0321\/files\/aas-2g-real_8093cb65-a7c4-47ae-8c7c-ce0d1b4f3965.webp?v=1786784445"},{"product_id":"afghan-super-negin-saffron","title":"Afghan Super Negin Saffron — All-Red Threads from Herat","description":"\u003cp\u003eAll-red Super Negin saffron threads from a single lot in the Herat valley, Afghanistan — hand-picked, trimmed above the pale yellow style, and harvest-dated on every jar. Choose your size below; the saffron inside is identical in every one.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhich size do I need?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e1 gram\u003c\/strong\u003e — about 250 threads, roughly 60 cups of tea or 15 family dishes. Where most people start, and the size most often given as a gift.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e2 grams\u003c\/strong\u003e — a year of occasional cooking for most households.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e3 grams\u003c\/strong\u003e — the middle size, for cooks who use saffron monthly rather than yearly.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e5 grams\u003c\/strong\u003e — for kitchens that cook with saffron weekly. The price per gram drops sharply here.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e10 grams\u003c\/strong\u003e — the household and event size, and the lowest cost per gram we offer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat you are buying\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhole threads, never powder. Powder is where adulteration hides — ground saffron can be padded with turmeric, safflower or dyed filler and you cannot tell by looking. A whole thread is its own evidence: you can check that it is all red, that no pale style is attached, and that the threads are long rather than broken.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor tea, three to five threads per cup in water just off the boil, five minutes' steeping — do not stir. For a family rice dish, bloom a generous pinch of fifteen to twenty threads in two tablespoons of warm water for ten minutes, then add both the liquid and the threads. Less is more: past about six threads a cup turns bitter rather than richer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eShipping and returns\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eHand-packed in Lynn, Massachusetts and shipped with tracking, typically within one business day. Free U.S. shipping over $50. Thirty days to change your mind — if it does not bloom the way saffron should, email us and we will refund or replace it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Authentic Afghan Saffron","offers":[{"title":"1 gram","offer_id":53324445286689,"sku":null,"price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2 grams","offer_id":53324445843745,"sku":null,"price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3 grams","offer_id":53324445876513,"sku":null,"price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5 grams","offer_id":53324445909281,"sku":null,"price":44.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10 grams","offer_id":53324445942049,"sku":null,"price":59.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0995\/8110\/0321\/files\/aas-2g-real_8093cb65-a7c4-47ae-8c7c-ce0d1b4f3965.webp?v=1786784445"}],"url":"https:\/\/authenticsaffron.com\/collections\/afghan-saffron.oembed","provider":"Authentic Afghan Saffron","version":"1.0","type":"link"}