Check the colour first
Real Kashmiri Mongra saffron threads are a deep crimson-red colour, not bright orange or light red. If the threads look mostly orange, or if you see a lot of pale yellow threads mixed in, be careful — these yellow parts are often the flower's style, which has very little flavour or colour value, mixed in to increase weight.
Do the water or milk test
Drop a few threads into a small bowl of lukewarm water or warm milk, and watch what happens. Real saffron releases its golden-red colour slowly, usually taking 10 to 15 minutes to fully colour the water. If the water turns bright red or orange within a few seconds, this is a strong warning sign of artificial colour being added. Real saffron simply does not release its colour that fast.
Smell it carefully
Genuine saffron has an earthy smell, often described as similar to honey and dried hay, with a slightly bitter-sweet edge. It should not smell like nothing at all, and it should also not smell strongly sweet or like a food flavouring — both can be signs of a fake or heavily mixed product.
Be realistic about the price
Genuine Kashmiri Mongra saffron is a labour-intensive crop — it takes a huge number of flowers to get even a small amount of saffron, which is why it is genuinely expensive, usually somewhere around ₹350 to ₹600 per gram, depending on grade and season. If you see Kashmiri saffron being sold at a price that seems too good to be true, it probably is. Very cheap "Kashmiri saffron" is one of the most common ways fake or diluted product is sold online.
Buy from a source that is transparent
Since these home tests give a good indication but are not a lab-level guarantee, the safest step is buying from a seller who is upfront about sourcing, grade, and pricing. You can view our current stock and grade details on the Kashmiri Mongra Saffron (Kesar) product page.