In general, the age and history of saffron production can be considered to be about 3 thousand years. Some researchers believe that the origin of the world’s saffron is the Mad state of Iran. But in contrast to them, some other researchers consider the world’s saffron to be in a larger area, which includes Iran, Asia Minor, Turkey and Greece. In any case, Iran is the origin of saffron, whether exclusively or jointly.
Of course, some historical sources mention that saffron is 5 thousand years old in Iran. Because in a botanical book belonging to the Assyrian era, it is written about saffron flower. In ancient Iran, saffron was first cultivated near the Alvand and Zagros mountains throughout the Median kingdom dating back to 708-550 BC, but unfortunately, there are no more facts about how saffron was used back then. Now, it is well known that Iranians were the first race to grow saffron. Currently, the wholesale of Iranian saffron supplies more than 90% of the world’s saffron demand, and the maximum saffron is produced in Khorasan province. In the olden days, Iranians used to give saffron like flowers, gold and plants in wedding ceremonies. In addition, saffron was also used as a religious object. They used it to provide a perfume for coloring dead bodies, and in ancient Iran worshipers used saffron as an offering to God, and as a bright yellow dye, perfume, and medicine. During the Achaemenid period from 550 BC to 330 BC, saffron was turned into curcuma or curcuma and mixed with cinnamon and cardamom to make a powerful potion.
In addition, according to the inscription that was discovered in the palaces, it showed that they used one kilogram of saffron daily to prepare saffron bread. During the Parthian Empire in 256 BC – 224 AD and in the Sassanid period in 641 AD, they were able to export Iranian saffron to Greece, India, Rome and China. They also used saffron to make royal perfumes and even facial oils for kings and in cooking for them. And during the time of the Sassanids, saffron was used to color the paper for playing chess on it, and King Khosrow Parviz ordered that his letters be written on papers dipped in saffron and rose water.
Introducing Iranian saffron to the world
Saffron, like many other goods, was one of the materials traded through the Silk Road. Iranians were the first to be known as exporters of saffron, and according to most historians, among the Iranians, the Parthians (200 years before Christ) were the first to bring saffron to the people of the world through the Silk Road. They inroduced. Through this prosperous commercial road, the Parthians and other Iranian tribes sold saffron to the land of Romans, Chinese, and Semitic tribes (including Arabs and Greeks). Later, when saffron reached the hands of the people of the world through the silk road and went to plant it, the people of Andalucia (Spain) and North Africa also started to produce and plant saffron.