Kashmiri vs Iranian saffron
Both are certified against the same ISO 3632 thresholds. The real differences are thread form, lot-to-lot consistency and what your market will pay a premium for.
| Specification | Kashmiri Mongra | Iranian Super Negin |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 3632 category | Category I | Category I |
| Crocin (minimum) | ≥ 190 | ≥ 190 |
| Picrocrocin (minimum) | ≥ 70 | ≥ 70 |
| Safranal | ≈ 35 | ≈ 38 |
| Origin | Pampore, Kashmir · India | Khorasan · Iran |
| Form | Whole dried stigma (filament) | Whole dried stigma, style removed |
| Thread length | Approx. 18–22 mm | Approx. 22–26 mm |
| Floral waste | ≤ 0.5% | ≤ 0.5% |
| Shelf life | 36 months, sealed, away from light | 36 months, sealed, away from light |
| Minimum order | 500 g | 500 g |
| Best suited to | Gifting, premium retail, saffron sold on presentation | Retail vials, repeat schedules, consistent lot-to-lot supply |
The short answer
If your customer will look at the thread and pay for provenance, buy Kashmiri Mongra. If you need the same Category I chemistry on a predictable monthly schedule at a lower cost per kilo, buy Iranian Super Negin. Both are genuine, both are Category I, and anyone telling you one is categorically fake is selling something.
Consistency is the practical difference
Kashmiri production comes from smallholder farming on the karewa plateaus around Pampore, and total annual output is small. Iranian production in Khorasan is many times larger and more organised. The consequence for a buyer is variability: Kashmiri lots differ more from one another than Iranian lots do. For a one-off gifting run that is irrelevant. For a manufacturer holding a recipe to a fixed colour target, it matters a great deal.
Thread form and appearance
Super Negin is longer and more uniform because it is sorted for length and cut clear of the style. Mongra is shorter, darker and slightly more brittle. Side by side in a vial, most people find Super Negin the more impressive object and Mongra the more intense colour. Neither impression is a substitute for the crocin figure.
Price and what drives it
Kashmiri Mongra generally trades at a premium to Iranian Super Negin, and the premium is not chemistry — it is scarcity and provenance. Some markets, particularly the Gulf and the South Asian diaspora, will pay it readily. Others, particularly European manufacturers buying on specification, will not. Know which one you are selling into before you choose.
What we recommend
Order the five-grade sample kit and put them next to each other. The decision usually makes itself within a minute of opening the vials — and it costs less than being wrong on a container.
Sample first. Decide after.
Tell us the grade and volume you are working to and we will send an indicative offer, the specification sheet, and a sample dispatch window — normally within one working day.