Afghanistan’s “Herat Saffron” named world’s best for tenth consecutive year

KABUL: Afghanistan’s saffron, known as “Herat Saffron,” has once again claimed the title of the highest quality saffron in the world during the latest international taste competition, marking the tenth consecutive year of this achievement. The competition was held by the International Taste Institute in Brussels, Belgium. Since 2005, the International Taste Institute has been professionally evaluating the quality of food and drink flavors and employs a team of over 250 professional chefs and flavor testing experts from various countries for judging. This year’s main competition was contested among Afghanistan, Iran, Spain, and Greece, all of which are considered major saffron producers globally. Iran is recognized as Afghanistan’s most serious competitor in saffron production. Afghanistan’s saffron has previously won first place in international competitions nine times, thanks to its high-quality attributes such as strong coloring power, robust aroma, and a well-balanced flavor. Serious attention to saffron production began in 1380 (Gregorian calendar 2001) in Herat, and the plant subsequently spread to other provinces. Today, Afghanistan is considered one of the key saffron-producing countries.