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Hamta Saffron Profile HAMTA SAFFRON PAY TO PEACE BY RED GOLD Once Try, Always Use What is Saffron? Saffron is a spice derived from a rare plant called Crocus Flower. The plant can grow up to 20-30 cm having four flowers, each with three Stigmas at the end. These stigmas along with the styles are collected to be dried and prepared as what we know as saffron spice. Compared to its weight, saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. The extremely pleasant aroma of the saffron is linked to more than 150 chemical compound present in the plant. Many of these compounds are from the carotenoid family including lycopene, zeaxanthin, and alpha and beta carotenes. Also, the yellow colour of the saffron is yielded by a component called alpha crocin. Throughout the harvesting and drying processes of the saffron, a molecule is formed which is called safranal and is the main origin of saffron strong aromatic flavour. Types of Saffron? Despite what may many think, saffron is categorised into various types based of quality and strength. The strength and quality in turn, are related to distinct factors such as age, ratio of styles and stigma and the origin of the plant. The best and the most costly saffron is cultivated in Iran which has various grades including Sargol, Pushal, Khooshe or bunch, Konj (Konge) or white and Negin. The grades for Spanish saffron are The International grades include; Coupe (similar to Iranian Sargol), . Grade I (finest grade) with the Mancha (similar to Iranian Pushal), reading of more than 250 is the Rio, Standard and Sierra. Other best grade of saffron which saffron producing countries do not Sargol and Coupe fall into this have any classified grades for their category. product. Grade II with the reading of up to 250 with the example of Other than these mentioned grades, Pushal and Mancha. there is an International Standard . Grade III with the reading of up System (ISO 3632) which to 170. determines the grade of saffron by laboratory measurement of Crocin (for colour), Picrocrocin (for taste) and Safranal (for fragrance). According to this grading, saffron has three grades, based on the spectrophotometric reading of the Crocin. Colour Strength: 1. Bunches Saffron 120 150 UPS 2. Pooshal (Mancha) Saffron 170 250 UPS 3. Sargol (All Red) Saffron 260 270 UPS 4. Negin (Negin Sargol or Pooshal Negin) 270 < UPS Persian Saffron As is mentioned before, with harvesting more than 300 tons annually, Iran accounts for almost 95% of world production of saffron. This spice is perfectly fitted with the dry climate and soil composition. In addition, the eminent crop protection and harvesting processes, makes the Iranian saffron, the best and costliest exquisite IRAN 95% condiment in the world. Having tens of centuries of fame and name in glowing of this ancient fragrance of Persia, the Iranian saffron has been sitting heads and Iran India Greece shoulders above all the producing countries Azerbaijan Morocco Italy around the world. This is a gift from holy Turkey France Switzerland mother of earth which was conferred to that specific soil. Who We Are? Hamta Group, is a prominent multinational and multi-product business operating across all over the world. Hamta Group is a foremost independent trading and business solution service provider and aims to maximize its clients’ trading through a unique mix of superior value proposal, innovative solutions, diverse product offering, competitive spreads and customer service. We strongly believe the concept of Pay to Peace so we are honoured to bring the aroma of ancient Persia to you from the heart of saffron district in Iran. We are the sole importer and distributor of Persian Saffron in East Asia. Our flawless harvested, hand- picked product is guaranteed by its quality, price and packaging. Equipped with an advanced analytic laboratory, we are compelled to give the best quality products to our clients. The harvested product, undergoes routine physiochemical and microbial lab tests to control the quality, safety and sanitation of the harvest. All quality control checkpoints are standardized and calibrated according to ISO guidelines. Our Products Standards: INS259-1: Saffron Specifications INS259-2: Saffron Test Methods INS1197: Determination of Total Ash INS1253: Determination of Acid–Insoluble Ash INS12158: Determination of Cold Water Soluble Extract INS5689: Microbiology of Saffron INS3659: Saffron Sampling Specification INS16536: Iran Good Agricultural Practices (IRANGAP) Saffron INS17034: Saffron Spray ISO 3632-1:2011: Saffron (Crocus Sativus L.), Part 1: Specification ISO 3632 -2:2010: Saffro n (Crocus Sati vus L.), Part 2: Test M ethods Grades of Iranian Saffron SARGOL PUSHAL This grade consists of ONLY red stigma tips This grade consists of red stigma and and is the strongest grade. Sargol saffron is yellow/white styles of the flower. Due to the pure saffron with no broken stand and presence of the yellow styles, this grade has the ISO reading of 260-270. has extreme colouring capacity. The ISO reading of this grade is 170 to 250. KHOOSHE (BUNCH) NEGIN This grade is relatively low strength grade (ISO reading is 70 to 75) and consists of In this grade, each bundle of saffron red stigmata plus large amount of yellow consists of 3-4 coiled stigmas, which style, presented in a tiny bundle. gives a very unique and distinct appearance to the saffron. For this KONJ (KONGE) grade, the ecology of cultivation, harvesting and drying process are the This grade consists of only yellow-white main factors for distinguishing from styles and has a very little aroma and Pushal grade. colouring potential. Saffron Use and Facts Dried saffron is composed of 12% water, 65% carbohydrates, 6% fat and 11% protein. As for other spices or dried foods, the nutrient content of dried saffron in a 100 gram amount shows richness of nutritional value across B vitamins and dietary minerals. Tables below are the nutrition facts of saffron based on daily value. Saffron Nutrition Value per 100g (3.5 oz) Energy 1298 kj Daily Fat 5.85 g (310 kcal) value % Saturated 1.586 g Mono-unsaturated 0.429 g Carbohydrates 65.37 g (21%) Dietary fibre 3.9 g (15%) Poly-unsaturated 2.067 g Proteins 11.53 g (22%) Vitamins Vitamin A 530 IU (10%) Minerals Calcium 111 mg (11%) Thiamine (B1) 0.115 mg 11.10 mg (85%) Riboflavine (B2) 0.267 mg Iron 264 mg (74%) Niacin (B3) 1.460 mg Magnesium (10%) 252 mg (36%) Vitamin B6 1.01 mg Phosphorus (78%) 1724 mg (37%) Folate (B9) (23%) Potassium 93 g 148 mg (10%) Sodium Vitamin C 80.8 mg (97%) Zinc 1.09 mg (11%) Water 11.90 g Selenium 5.6 g History of Saffron History of Saffron cultivation and use, spans thousands of years. Historical findings revealed saffron based pigments in prehistoric paintings on a 50`000-years-old cave wall in Persian Empire. Sumerians used saffron as a confidential ingredient in magical remedies. They believed that saffron medical benefits is linked to divine intervention. Persian saffron is cultivated since 10th century BC to be used as a fragrance, colour, medication and an aphrodisiac compound. Cyrus the Great, used saffron threads to dissolve in his bath tub to overcome tiredness and fatigue as well as healing the war wounds. Health Benefits of Saffron According to Avicenna (IBN SINA), the Persian polymath in his famous book “The Canon of Medicine” saffron has more than 20 healing benefits which are listed briefly below; . Treatment of Alzheimer`s disease . Improvement of food digestion . Reduction of neurological damages in M.S . Control of appetite and weight loss patients . Relief of menstrual discomforts . Anti-oxidative compound against free . Increase of sex drive and libido radicals . Nerve stimulation and mood change . Heart health . Improvement of kidney, liver and bladder function . Prevention against age related vision loss . Treatment of bronchitis and dry cough . Prevention against cataract . Treatment of fever . Anti-depression . Treatment of gastric bloating and flatulence . Memory improvement . Treatment of hypertension . Treatment of insomnia . Decreasing blood cholesterol level . Improvement of epileptic convulsions . Skin rejuvenation . Improvement of Iron absorption and . Treatment of sunburn marks adolescent anaemia . Treatment of hair fall Swindle in Saffron Sale Saffron is very costly and precious in its nature. Some fraudulent merchants nowadays are using fake materials to resemble the natural saffron. For example it`s been discovered that some people, dip the dried corn silk in dye and saffron extract and sell it as pure saffron. Some other frauds, spray the saffron with oil, honey and sugar syrup to give it more weight and volume. Also it has been shown that some types of saffron grades in the market, are mixed with special fine powders to increase the weight. However, the pure saffron can be distinguished from the fake one with a little experience and practice. The appearance of the saffron threads is the main element to its neutrality. Saffron is dark red in colour, non-glossy and not oily. Squeeze a single thread between your fingers, if it leaves a trace of grease or oil on your fingertips, be sure that it is fraud. In addition, the stigma is dentate and wide in one end, and straight bar-like on the other end. Our Products Our product and packages are being presented with standard analysis sheets and guarantee. To receive more information about the product please visit our website or kindly call for sample and price. One kilogram of our dried saffron, according to its grade may cost between Saffron Storing 2000USD to 4000USD, however the price may subject to change weekly. Either grinded or intact, saffron will lose its aroma and flavour over the time, hence it has to be stored in cool, dark and dry place in a sealed glass container.
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