Kashmiri saffron comes with its own vocabulary — grade names like Mongra and Lacha, chemical markers like Crocin and Safranal, and certification terms like GI Tag and ISO 3632-1. This glossary defines each one in plain language so you know exactly what you're paying for.
Mongra
Mongra (also spelled Mogra) is the highest grade of Kashmiri saffron — pure stigma only, with no yellow style attached, giving it the deepest colour, strongest aroma, and highest price per gram of any Kashmiri saffron grade.
Lacha
Lacha is whole-strand Kashmiri saffron that still has the yellow style (the pale, flavourless part of the flower) attached to the red stigma. It's less concentrated than Mongra because the yellow portion dilutes the colour and aroma per gram, but it's still genuine, unblended saffron — just a different cut.
Zarda
Zarda is the yellow style of the saffron flower — the part trimmed away when producing Mongra. It has minimal colour or flavour value on its own and is the lowest-value grade. Genuine sellers sell it cheaply and label it clearly; it should never be blended into Mongra or Lacha to bulk up weight.
Crocin
Crocin is the carotenoid compound responsible for saffron's colour. It's what a lab measures (as absorbance at 440nm) to score a batch's colouring strength — the single biggest factor in ISO 3632-1 grading. Higher crocin means a more intense golden-red release when saffron is steeped.
Picrocrocin
Picrocrocin is the compound behind saffron's distinctive bitter taste. Measured at 257nm, it breaks down during drying and storage into safranal, saffron's aroma compound — so picrocrocin and safranal levels are connected: fresher, better-dried saffron tends to score higher on both.
Safranal
Safranal is the volatile oil that gives saffron its aroma. Measured at 330nm, it's what you actually smell when you open a jar of good saffron — a warm, hay-like, slightly metallic scent. Safranal degrades with heat and light exposure, which is why airtight, dark storage matters.
GI Tag
GI Tag (Geographical Indication) is a legal certification confirming saffron was genuinely grown in the Kashmir Valley — specifically the Karewa lands around Pampore, Kishtwar, and Budgam. "Kashmiri Saffron" received India's GI tag in 2020, meaning saffron grown elsewhere cannot legally be sold under that name in India.
ISO 3632-1
ISO 3632-1:2011 is the international lab standard used to grade saffron quality by testing three markers in a lab: Crocin (colour), Picrocrocin (taste), and Safranal (aroma). It sorts saffron into Category I, II, or III based on minimum thresholds for each:
| Category | Crocin (colour) | Picrocrocin (taste) | Safranal (aroma) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category I (highest) | ≥ 190 | ≥ 70 | 20–50 |
| Category II | 150–190 | ≥ 55 | 20–50 |
| Category III | 110–150 | ≥ 40 | 20–50 |
Values shown are the E1%1cm absorbance thresholds defined by ISO 3632-1:2011. Our Mongra saffron is lab-tested to Category I.
What About "A+", "A++", "A+++" Grades?
"A+", "A++", and "A+++" are not official saffron grades — there is no certifying body or lab standard behind them. They're informal shorthand some online marketplaces use to imply quality tiers. If you see saffron marketed this way, ask the seller for the actual ISO 3632-1 category and lab report instead. The real, verifiable grading systems are the traditional Kashmiri cut (Mongra, Lacha, Zarda) and the international lab standard (ISO 3632-1 Category I/II/III) — both explained above.