What it means
زعفران (za’faran) is saffron, the dried red stigmas of Crocus sativus. Persian borrowed the word directly from Arabic زَعْفَرَان (za’faran), which in turn has Aramaic roots. Iran is the world’s largest producer of saffron, and the spice appears in everything from rice dishes to sweets to medicinal teas. A common phrase in recipe contexts is “زعفران دم کرده” (za’faran dam karde), meaning bloomed or brewed saffron, referring to the liquid form used in cooking.
How to use it
- یه قاشق زعفران دم کن بریز تو برنج. (ye qashoq za’faran dam kon beriz tu berenj.) “Brew a spoonful of saffron and pour it into the rice.”
- زعفران ایرانی بهترین زعفران دنیاست. (za’faran-e irani behtarin za’faran-e donyast.) “Iranian saffron is the best saffron in the world.”
- این کیک زعفرانی خوشمزهست. (in keyk-e za’farani khoshmaze-st.) “This saffron cake is delicious.”
- زعفران خیلی گرونه ولی یه کمش کافیه. (za’faran kheili gerune vali ye kamash kafiye.) “Saffron is very expensive but a little is enough.”
Cultural note
Iran produces around 90 percent of the world’s saffron, most of it grown in Khorasan province. The spice is used to color and flavor the crispy rice crust called تهدیگ (tahdig), the iconic dish زرشک پلو با مرغ (zereshk polo ba morgh), and the cold dessert bastani sonnati. Beyond cooking, زعفران is brewed as a tea believed to lift mood and ease digestion, a use documented in traditional Persian medicine for centuries.