Our Story: Growing Saffron in Washington State

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Cyrus Saffron is a family-owned Washington farm built on generations of saffron knowledge. Darush grew up with a connection to saffron through his family, where knowledge of this extraordinary spice was passed from his grandfather to his father, Ahmad Dolatabadi, and eventually to him.

Darush and Nicole met in 2005 and married in 2007. After building careers in engineering, transportation, and international business, they wanted to create something of their own that connected family, agriculture, and a centuries-old tradition.

 Their journey was also shaped by significant personal challenges, including Darush's battle with leukemia. After overcoming the illness, family, health, and building something meaningful together took on even greater importance. That experience helped inspire Darush and Nicole to pursue a life closer to family, agriculture, and the land.
 

Then continue:

That vision became Cyrus Saffron, named after their son, Cyrus.

That vision became Cyrus Saffron, named after their son, Cyrus.

What began as an experiment growing saffron in Washington developed into a thriving family farm. Central Washington's dry climate, warm summers, and cold winters proved well suited to cultivating Crocus sativus, the flower from which saffron is harvested.

For more than a decade, our family has cultivated and hand-harvested saffron in Washington State. Today, 100% of the saffron sold by Cyrus Saffron is grown and harvested on our Washington farms.

Each fall, delicate purple saffron flowers emerge for a brief harvest season. The flowers are carefully collected, and their red stigmas are separated by hand before being processed and packaged with close attention to freshness and quality.

Cyrus Saffron has grown from a small family farming project into a nationally distributed specialty-food brand. Our saffron has been enjoyed by home cooks, chefs, restaurants, specialty retailers, and customers throughout the United States.

Our roots remain firmly in Washington. Cyrus Saffron has built a presence at Seattle's historic Pike Place Market while continuing to grow and harvest saffron in Central Washington.

As the company has grown, our purpose has remained simple: grow exceptional saffron here in Washington and connect customers directly to the farm where their saffron comes from.

Growing saffron requires patience and considerable handwork. Every flower produces only three delicate saffron stigmas, and each one must be carefully harvested.

That connection between the land, the harvest, and the finished product is at the heart of Cyrus Saffron.

From our Washington farms to your kitchen, every thread tells our story.