Safflower

Safflower, scientifically known as Carthamus tinctorius, is a vibrant botanical valued for both its practical uses and its bright orange-yellow petals. For centuries, this versatile plant has been celebrated for its ornamental beauty and practical uses. The dried petals, with their vivid orange and yellow hues, serve as a natural dye for textiles, cosmetics, and candles, and are commonly used as a cost-effective, natural colorant alternative to saffron in certain recipes.

In cooking, Safflower petals provide a mild, earthy flavor and a warm golden hue. They're used in Indian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean cuisine to color rice dishes, soups, sauces, and salads. While the taste is subtle, the visual impact is significant, making it a useful pantry ingredient for both flavor and presentation.

Safflower petals are slender, dry threads in shades of orange, red and yellow. Steeped in warm water, milk or stock, they release a bright golden colour, and the mild, faintly bitter flavour lets the other seasonings in the pot lead. That makes safflower a dependable way to colour rice, biryani, paella-style dishes, soups and batters at a modest cost.

Safflower petals are also a popular ingredient in crafting and DIY beauty applications, valued for their vivid natural color.

Our Safflower is 100% natural and free from additives, suitable for culinary, crafting, and DIY beauty applications.

How to use it

Steep a generous pinch, about a teaspoon, in a quarter cup of warm water or milk for ten minutes, then pour the liquid into about two cups of rice or a pot of soup. Technique tip: press the petals gently with a spoon while they steep, since this draws out more colour than soaking alone. Store in an airtight jar away from light.

Botanical Name: Carthamus tinctorius

Also known as: عصفر, Zaffer, Fake Saffron, Dyer's Saffron, False Saffron, American Saffron, Bastard Saffron, Azafar, Alazor