Saffron is sold across India under at least a dozen names. A shop in Chennai calls it kungumapoo, one in Hyderabad kumkuma puvvu, a Kashmiri trader says kong, and the packet in your hand says kesar, keshar, zafran or jafran. They are all the same spice.

What makes this worth writing down is that a few other things sound like saffron and are not, and one of them is sold in the same shops. If you are buying by name, especially online, knowing which word means what protects you from paying saffron prices for something else.

The same spice, region by region

So a listing for kungumapoo, kumkuma puvvu, keshar or jafran is a listing for saffron. The name tells you where the seller is, not what grade you are getting.

Four things that are not saffron

Nag kesar

A completely different plant, sold dried and used in Ayurvedic preparations and some spice blends. The word kesar in its name has misled buyers into thinking they have found cheap saffron. It is not saffron, it does not taste or colour like saffron, and it costs a fraction of the price for good reason.

Kesar masala and kesari milk masala

These are blends: milk masalas and sweet mixes that contain some saffron along with nuts, cardamom and often sugar. They are good products in their own right, and a convenient way to make kesar milk, but a 100 g pack of milk masala is not 100 g of saffron, and should never be priced as if it were. Check the ingredient list and see where saffron sits in the order.

Kesar colour and kesari food colour

Saffron-coloured powders sold for sweets are usually food colour, sometimes with a trace of flavouring. The packet says colour; the shelf next to it says kesar. Read before you reach.

Safflower, and other petals

Safflower petals, sometimes called kusum or false saffron, are flat, ribbon-like and very cheap. They give a weak yellow-orange tint and almost no aroma. This is the most common substitute passed off as saffron in loose form.

How to separate real threads from all of these at home, in a glass of water, is in how to identify real Kashmiri saffron.

Kesar, kong, kungumapoo

Premium Kashmiri Mongra Saffron, 1 g

Whole Grade 1 Mongra threads from Pampore. Not a blend, not a powder, nothing added.

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Words on a saffron packet, decoded

• Mongra, Lachha or Lacha: real grades. Mongra is the deep red stigma only, with the pale style cut away. Lacha keeps part of the yellow style, so some of the weight does nothing in the pot.
• Negin, Super Negin, Sargol, Pushal: Iranian grade names. Negin is the equivalent of Mongra.
• Coupe, La Mancha, Rio: Spanish grades.
• Threads, filaments, strands: whole saffron, which is what you want, because you can see what you bought.
• Powder: ground saffron. Convenient, but it is where turmeric, paprika and dyed fibre hide most easily. Crush your own threads instead.
• Pure, original, A grade, premium, royal: seller language. None of these has a defined meaning, and they appear on good and bad packets alike.
• ISO 3632 Category I: a real standard, measuring colour, flavour and aroma. It means something only when there is a dated lab report you can actually open.
• GI tagged: Kashmir saffron has held a Geographical Indication since 2020. It certifies documented origin, not stronger threads.

Saffron in the kitchen, by name

Many searches for these regional names are really about one dish. A few of the common ones:

• Kesar milk, kesar doodh: three to five threads, soaked in a little warm milk for fifteen minutes, then stirred in.
• Kahwa: six to eight threads in the pot. Kashmir's green tea with cardamom and cinnamon, no milk.
• Kesari bath, Kannada: the semolina sweet that takes both its colour and its name from saffron, though many versions use food colour instead.
• Biryani and pulao: fifteen to twenty-five threads for four to six people, soaked first and poured over the rice.
• Phirni, kheer, sheer khurma: twelve to fifteen threads, soaked in warm milk.

The rule under all of these: soak, never sprinkle. Dry threads dropped into a dish give up only part of their colour. Quantities per dish are in how much saffron you should buy.

Buying by name, safely

Whichever word your region uses, the checks are the same: a named grade, a stated origin, a packing date, whole threads rather than powder, a lab report you can see, and a seller you can reach. The full list is in the Kashmiri saffron buying guide, and what sets the price is in why Kashmiri saffron is expensive.

We grow and pack in Pampore, and sell whole Mongra threads, not powder and not blends: see the Kashmiri saffron collection. If a packet in front of you, from anywhere, is confusing you, send us a photo on WhatsApp and we will tell you what it actually is.

Common questions

Is kesar the same as saffron?

Yes. Kesar is the Hindi name for saffron.

What is kungumapoo in English?

Saffron. Kumkuma puvvu in Telugu and kunkumapoovu in Malayalam are the same spice.

Is nag kesar the same as kesar?

No. Nag kesar is a different plant entirely. It is not a cheaper saffron and does not work as one.

What is saffron called in Kashmiri?

Kong. The flower is kong posh, and the growing area is Pampore in Pulwama.

Is kesar powder real saffron?

Some is. Powder is also the easiest form to adulterate, because you cannot see the threads. Buy whole threads and crush what you need.

Is kesari milk masala the same as saffron?

No. It is a blend containing saffron along with nuts and other ingredients. Useful for milk, but not a saffron purchase.