Kashmiri Lacha saffron.
Stigma with a length of the pale style left attached. Visually distinctive, gentler on cost per kilo, and a sensible choice where colour value per gram is less critical than volume.
The attached style carries little colouring power, so crocin per gram is structurally lower than Mongra. That is a property of the grade, not a defect — and it is priced accordingly.
| Botanical name | Crocus sativus L. |
|---|---|
| ISO 3632 category | Category II |
| Form | Stigma with attached style |
| Thread length | Approx. 25–30 mm incl. style |
| Moisture & volatile matter | ≤ 10% |
| Floral waste | ≤ 4% |
| Foreign matter | ≤ 0.1% |
| Shelf life | 36 months, sealed, away from light |
| Minimum order | 500 g |
| Best suited to | Volume buyers, traditional markets, cost-led programmes |
| HS code | 0910 20 10 |
| Origin | Pampore, Kashmir · India |
Lacha is not a lesser saffron. It is a different cut.
The confusion around Lacha causes more disputes than any other point in the trade. It is the same flower, the same field and the same day's picking as Mongra. The difference is that a length of the pale style is left attached instead of being trimmed away.
What that means for your numbers
The style contains almost no crocin. Leaving it on adds weight without adding colour, so the colouring strength per gram falls — which is precisely why ISO 3632 places typical Lacha in Category II rather than Category I. If you buy on colour value, budget for more grams.
When Lacha is the right call
Traditional markets that recognise and prefer the longer thread, volume programmes where cost per kilo governs, and any application where the saffron will be steeped long enough for the difference in extraction to even out.
Compare it against the rest.
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.