You probably had fake saffron. The genuine stuff has been distinct taste and can be quite strong as well. We use it regularly in Indian food.

Real saffron has a wonderful and distinctive flavour. Anyway, if someone buys it at the given price, it's not a waste of energy and money.

saffron does have a very beautiful, warm, and distinct taste. real saffron is not a waste of money or time if you like to try different cuisines and flavors.

If you do try the real stuff, a very tiny amount will give flavour to a very large dish. The cheap stuff is basically just a dye.

A colleague from Afghanistan gave me a small bottle of genuine saffron. I love to put a small pinch of it into my tea as it gives fragrant aroma and unique flowery flavor. Chewed on its own, it tastes slightly bitter but not unpleasant.

The actual flavor is quite mild but some dishes like paella or pilaf wouldn't be the same without it.

1 gram of saffron can make a tasty kilogram of rice

It is a very distinctive and rich flavour, lovely and strong. If it doesn't have a strong and distinctive taste, it's fake saffron.

Sorry, but you have heard wrong. The stuff which tastes like nothing, is bitter or tastes of plastic is fake. There are few people who don't like saffron after tasting it.

It has a beautiful woody taste with a slight sweetness to it but not paprika like, totally in its own world of flavour 😉 the colour is more intense when you dye rice etc with, imitation is a b***h.

As a professional chef I can state, yes. Unless you live where you can get it fresh-ish… even then, yes. Big waste. You’re paying for the prestige, because it offers little to nothing.

I wonder if there's a genetic component to how it tastes, like cilantro; I can't taste saffron at all!

Its dry, floral and spicy without being hot. If you get the chance to try Tassie Saffron you'll get to know it.

I bought some for making paella, used it several times for this but I wasn't certain I liked the difference that it made enough to warrant the cost of buying again, so I made a loaf of bread with the remainder of it, quite a bit in fact, to expose it's qualities in a fairly neutral medium. Conclusion the aroma is nice but the flavour is very earthy and isn't great without the rest of the paella flavours. I decided I could live without it, considering the cost.

Interesting class I once took in anthropology. What does authentic mean? Is a Spanish restaurant run by Spanish people in Spain authentic? How about a Spanish resto run by Spaniards in Sydney? How about a Spanish resto run by Vietnamese in Sydney? The conversation devolved into the use of saffron. If saffron is used in paella by Spanish people in Sydney? How about if Vietnamese owners sub the saffron with cheaper turmeric? Doesn’t answer your question. Just a recollection.

If you add too much you can definitely taste it! Maybe the strength of the flavor depends on the variety and/or region of origin?

I've tried it, and I'm of that opinion. The taste is very distinctive, but I wouldn't go out of my way

I use saffron fairly often, and I have no idea what it tastes like.

Yes you’re absolutely right,very overrated, Annato seeds do the same thing

If that was correct a whole nation would imagine that swedish saffron buns had taste and just not colour... (I have no experience of Indian food, so I'm only mentioning our christmas buns)

No.

Yep.

True. A friend broght a whole lot home from Afghanistan and gave me some ... tried it ... just some bloom leaves, and tasting like that. A dalia tastes better and more intense, and they grow like everywhere. OTOH, he had it lying in a shelf quite some time before he gave it to me ... may have lost its taste. And he should have brought ... uh, other plants from over there, huh huh...

This spice purportedly comes with some benefits for your body. "Saffron is a powerful spice high in antioxidants. It has been linked to health benefits, such as improved mood, libido, and sexual function, as well as reduced PMS symptoms and enhanced weight loss."

Tastes awesome, you are just an uncultured swine.

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Do you have to comment on f*****g everything? Get a life