Armenian Saffron
Net weight: 1 g
Couldn't load pickup availability
Like its Iranian neighbour, Armenia offers all the natural conditions sought by Crocus sativus. At the foot of Mount Ararat, volcanic soils, altitude, harsh winters, wide temperature swings and dry sunshine create an environment particularly favourable to this demanding flower. Here, saffron flourishes naturally, in perfectly drained soil, where it draws all its aromatic richness.
The saffron crocus has a fascinating quirk: while most flowers disappear in autumn, this one chooses precisely that moment to bloom. Between October and November, its purple flowers emerge a few weeks before the first hard frosts. Morning dew, autumn sunshine and cold nights create ideal conditions for its growth. This reversed flowering cycle makes saffron one of the most singular crops in the world.
Saffron tolerates neither haste nor mechanisation, and its harvest has demanded infinite precision since time immemorial. Every morning, before daybreak, the flowers are picked one by one by the young women of the village to preserve the full freshness of their precious red stigmas. Next comes the trimming: a meticulous manual gesture that delicately separates the three stigmas from each flower before drying. Nearly 150 flowers are needed to produce a single gram of saffron. Weeding the field is likewise done by hand, so as not to damage the bulbs and their shoots. This careful attention is the domain of Anoush and the women of the village. No fertiliser, no machinery: only patience guides their work. It is this exacting standard that makes saffron the most precious spice in the world.
Our plantation comes from bulbs selected from the finest saffron-growing regions of Iran and Afghanistan. The first harvests were analysed according to the international ISO 3632 standard, the world reference for saffron quality, and meet the criteria of Category I, the highest quality grade. This classification assesses, among other things, the richness in picrocrocin (flavour), safranal (aroma) and crocin (colouring power).
Our field is located in Khor Virap, a hamlet famous for its monastery at the foot of the legendary Mount Ararat. This region is today home to many Armenian families who survived the war. With the support of saffron-growing experts, Artisans du Levant has created an experimental agricultural programme there, training them in the precise gestures of this exceptional crop. From soil preparation to weeding, from harvest to trimming, every step is carried out by the women and men of the village, who are reclaiming a regional craft and finding sustainable activity and a source of income.
Follow our behind-the-scenes and our artisans
Exceptional treasures, a craft passed down from generation to generation
