Souktana cooperative is on the road to Taroudant, in the village of Taliouine, in the heart of Sirwa Mountains.
That is the traditional area of cultivation of saffron in Morocco, for hundred years. For several years, the cooperative has been developing with dynamism, getting known, informing about saffron, having the quality of its production certified by ECOCERT (the last one, of 2006, certifies the 2005 harvest), and introducing improved methods, like testing heat-drying (as in Spain and Iran) for the next harvest.

It sells only a truly biological saffron, cultivated according the traditional ways, with natural fertilizers (cow and mutton dung). The mountains dry climate is ideal for such a culture, a prevents parasites, hence pesticides and fungicides. Weeding is done manually, with regular ploughing that breaks the ground crust before irrigations and limits the amount of water needed. It is a plant very easy to cultivate, apart the very intensive hard-working time of the harvest.

Founded in 1981, the cooperative groups 356 members. Among the 1.200 agricultural hectares, 150 are dedicated to saffron, and provide a living for 1.200 people. During harvest, saffron is very demanding, and the whole families will work up to twenty hours a day, first to harvest the flowers before the sun is too high, after that, in a semi-dark room, cut the stigmas that make the spice, once dried. All this entirely by hand, and, between harvest and preparation, a gram of dry saffron requires around three hours of work!

The cooperative centralizes the production, buying it a month after the harvest, and markets it. It also has a role of quality insurance, specially making sure that the biological norms are respected. Up to now, saffron was dried without any additional heat, when saffron from Spain, Greece or Iran is dried over stoves. But this year, a stove will be installed and used for the first time, on a small percentage of the harvest. The humidity percentage must be very low, and saffron will continue to dry in the cooperative’s storages. Storages which can be opened only by two different persons together, as they can contain a real fortune! Remember that Taliouine produces up to three tons of saffron, and that a gram costs between 10 and 30 euro per gram!

Dried saffron has a beautiful deep red colour. It can be stored for months, even several years say the connoisseurs, light is its only enemy, destroying quickly its vitamins and taste.

Saffron taken out of the storages is conditioned for end-sale (1 gram bag) as needed.

It is better to buy saffron in whole stigma, never in powder. Stigmas must be thin, and long, deep dark. When put into water, they immediately release a dark orange colour neither yellow nor red. And the price must be reasonable. Anything under 4 to 5 euro per gram in Europe must alert you. It cannot be of good quality.

When you’re in Morocco, the best is to go to Taliouine. You’ll be welcomed at the cooperative by Driss, the manager, or Salah, his assistant. They will do their best to explain you saffron’s secrets, and will offer you their delicious saffron tea. A little museum displays traditional items of Berber life (Taliouine is in the Berber country, in Tashelhiyt area). You can buy there your saffron, in bags of 1 gram, or boxes of 10 grams. 1 gram is enough for two persons for one or two months.

In souks, even in the streets, you’ll be offered saffron. It can be real and good, as some families of Taliouine keep a part of their harvest to markets it themselves. Most of the time, specially when too cheap, it will be an imitation, or at least a mix.

If you can’t go to Morocco, or if you had already finished what you brought back, we also have some saffron at your disposal in Europe. Saffron was packed in Taliouine, and is kept preserved from light. We deliver in packs of 1 gram, 5 grams or 10 grams.

• 1 gram : 6 euro, without postage.
• 5 grams : 27,5 euro, i.e. 5,50 euro per gram, without postage
• 10 grams : 47,50 euro, i.e. 4,75 euros per gram, normal postage within Europe offered.

Depending on dispatch mode and quantities, postage will be between 2 and 8 euro (for special express).

Professionals, or if you want more important quantities, please ask us.

To order