09.09.2025 14:33
The sale of saffron, the world's most valuable spice, at a price of 250,000 TL per kilogram has piqued the interest of fraudsters. Scammers have started to dye corn silk to make it look like saffron and sell it at high prices. Herbalists have stated that fake saffron gives color to water and disappears, but the counterfeit saffron made from corn silk only releases its dye into the water and does not dissolve.
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Known as the most valuable spice in the world, saffron is sold at 250 lira per gram and 250,000 lira per kilogram. Saffron, which can be grown in small quantities in certain regions of Iran, the Kashmir region of India, and in Safranbolu, Turkey, is known for its healing properties for many ailments. It is recognized for its effects in reducing menstrual pain in women, supporting eye health, and balancing and regulating the cardiovascular system. The red stigmas found on thousands of saffron flowers are hand-picked one by one in the early hours of the morning and left to dry to develop their aroma and color.
THE PRICE OF SAFFRON HAS INCREASED THE APPETITE OF FRAUDSTERS
The high price of saffron has led to the production of fake saffron. Fake saffron is made by dyeing corn silk to give it the appearance of 'saffron'. Corn silk cut to the size of saffron is dyed with food coloring and sold as real saffron. In Sivas, herbalist Serdar Yerliyurt has shown the real saffron and the corn silk used to make the fake one, explaining how corn silk is transformed into fake saffron.
THEY DYE CORN SILK WITH FOOD COLORING
Herbalist Serdar Yerliyurt, showing the corn silk used to make real and fake saffron, stated that fake and real saffron can be separated by placing them in water, saying, "There are countless products sold as saffron in the market. Corn silk is used to produce fake saffron, dyed with food coloring, and sold as saffron by giving it its aroma. Since the price of saffron is very high, they do such things to deceive people. Real saffron is grown in Iran, and it is collected from thousands of flowers and dried. Its small volume is what makes it expensive. Saffron is an antioxidant and helps the human body fight diseases. It especially provides relief for women during menstrual pain," he said.
IT GROWS IN SAFRANBOLU IN OUR COUNTRY
Yerliyurt stated, "Additionally, the saffron grown in Safranbolu in our country is sold at 250 lira per gram, and the kilogram price is 250,000 lira, just like the saffron we import from Iran. Saffron is used not only in cooking but also sometimes in the production of ink for writing," he said.
"REAL SAFFRON LOSES ITS COLOR AND DISAPPEARS IN WATER"
Yerliyurt explained how to distinguish whether the saffron we buy at high prices is real or not, saying, "One of the biggest features that can help us distinguish real saffron is that when we put it in water, it dissolves and loses its color, disappearing in the water, while fake saffron made from corn silk gives off color but does not dissolve and disappear. This is how we can tell if it is real or not."
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