Saffron grading is not cosmetic — it determines colour power, aroma intensity, price per gram, and which kitchen or factory application suits each lot. Iranian exporters sort Crocus sativus stigmas by how much yellow style remains attached to the red stigma after hand separation. The three commercial grades most buyers encounter are Sargol, Negin, and Pushal, each with a distinct role in global trade.

Illustration — authentic Iranian saffron

Understanding these grades prevents overpaying for the wrong specification and helps wholesale buyers write precise purchase contracts. Azpaeez labels every product with its grade and South Khorasan origin so you can match thread type to your recipe, brand, or export requirement without guesswork.

Sargol: maximum colour strength

Saffron grades ranked by color, aroma, and value

Match the grade to how you plan to use saffron

Sargol — sometimes called "all red" — contains only the crimson stigma tips with the yellow style fully removed. This grade delivers the highest crocin colouring strength per gram, which means you need fewer threads to achieve deep golden rice, vivid desserts, or concentrated syrups. Threads are typically shorter than Negin but densely pigmented.

Home cooks who use saffron occasionally often prefer Sargol because a small pinch goes far. In ISO 3632 laboratory testing, premium Sargol batches frequently reach Category I colouring strength, making this grade the benchmark for colour-critical applications.

Best uses for Sargol

Persian polo and tahdig where vivid golden colour matters
Sholeh zard, saffron ice cream, and premium pastries
Small retail packs for discerning home cooks
Pharmaceutical and supplement extraction when crocin content is specified

Negin and Super Negin: presentation and balance

Negin saffron features longer, more uniform threads with minimal style attached. Super Negin represents the longest, cleanest lots within the Negin category — prized for export display, luxury gifting, and retail shelves where visual appeal influences purchase decisions. Colour strength is slightly lower than Sargol per gram, but the elegant thread length commands premium positioning.

Restaurants that plate saffron visibly — atop rice, in broth, or as garnish — often choose Negin for its aesthetic. Azpaeez Super Negin selections are sorted for length consistency, making them ideal for wooden gift boxes and corporate hampers.

Pushal: value for volume users

Pushal retains part of the yellow style on the stigma. The attached style adds weight without adding equivalent colour power, which lowers the price per gram compared to Sargol. For bakeries producing hundreds of saffron cookies daily, syrup manufacturers, or food factories colouring large batches, Pushal offers strong economics without sacrificing acceptable aroma and colour release.

Pushal is not "low quality" — it is a different specification. Many professional kitchens standardize on Pushal with a defined minimum crocin level in their supplier contract to ensure batch consistency across seasons.

Grade comparison at a glance

Colour power per gram: Sargol highest, then Negin, then Pushal
Thread length and display appeal: Super Negin leads, then Negin, then Sargol
Price per gram: Sargol and Super Negin highest; Pushal most economical
Ideal buyer: home cook (Sargol), gift retail (Negin), food industry (Pushal)

💡 When comparing prices between suppliers, always compare the same grade. A cheap Negin quote may underperform a fairly priced Sargol in your rice pot because colour density differs.

How to choose the right grade for your needs

Ask yourself three questions: how important is maximum colour per gram, how visible should threads be on the plate, and what is your monthly consumption? A household using saffron twice a month needs one gram of Sargol annually. A restaurant serving saffron rice daily may negotiate recurring Pushal shipments with Azpaeez export, specifying ISO 3632 minimums.

Wholesale buyers should define grade, minimum crocin level, maximum moisture, and packaging in writing. Samples from each new harvest season should be approved before full shipment — crop year variation is normal even within the same grade name.

Buying with confidence from Azpaeez

Premium Iranian saffron rewards buyers who verify grade, harvest year, and origin before cooking or reselling. Azpaeez transparency — documented South Khorasan sourcing and ISO 3632 support for wholesale orders — reduces the guesswork that leads to faded rice and disappointing aroma.

Practice blooming with small quantities when opening a new jar: crush a few threads, steep in warm water, and observe golden colour release over fifteen minutes. That ritual connects you to the same quality checks professional importers run at scale, albeit with simpler home equipment.

Whether your next purchase is one gram for family polo or a kilogram for restaurant service, treat saffron as a specification-driven ingredient. Azpaeez product pages and export team exist to answer grade questions so every thread you buy performs as expected in the kitchen.

Grading standards in export trade

International buyers reference ISO 3632 laboratory results alongside traditional grade names. A Sargol lot with Category I crocin scores commands premium pricing in EU and GCC markets because food manufacturers can calculate exact colour dosing per batch. Pushal contracts specify maximum style percentage so industrial buyers know how much extra weight they accept in exchange for lower per-kilogram cost.

Mislabeling is common in grey markets: short red threads sold as Sargol when style was not fully removed, or Pushal rebranded as Negin for retail markup. Side-by-side comparison of three grades in cold water reveals colour speed and thread morphology differences within minutes. Azpaeez quotes wholesale grades with specification sheets defining crocin minimum, moisture ceiling, and foreign matter limits.

Seasonal variation and harvest year

Each autumn harvest in South Khorasan produces slightly different colour profiles depending on rainfall and picking speed. Professional buyers approve samples every crop year even from the same supplier. Store harvest year on your jar label — two-year-old Sargol may need a few extra threads compared to fresh stock.

Can I substitute Pushal for Sargol in recipes?

Yes, but you may need roughly ten to twenty percent more Pushal by weight to achieve the same colour. Adjust blooming time and quantity accordingly.

What is Super Negin?

Super Negin is the top tier of Negin sorting — longer, cleaner threads selected for export presentation and gifting.

Does grade affect shelf life?

All grades degrade similarly when exposed to light and air. Whole threads in any grade last longer than pre-ground powder.

Where can I buy graded Iranian saffron?

Azpaeez offers Sargol, Negin, and Pushal with transparent labels and South Khorasan origin documentation.