Short answer: One plate of rice or one cup of a drink needs only about 4–5 saffron threads, roughly 0.01g. At our wholesale prices (November 2026), that is about 8–15 sen per plate. A restaurant serving 100 saffron plates a day needs around 30g of saffron a month. Wholesale orders start from 50g.
This guide is for restaurants, cafés, hotels and caterers who want real saffron on their menu. It covers how much you need, what it costs per plate, how to use it in a busy kitchen, and what to check when you buy.
Where saffron fits on a Malaysian menu
- Rice: nasi briyani, nasi minyak, nasi mandi and nasi arab, and saffron rice served with grilled meat.
- Main dishes: meat and chicken curries, kebabs and marinades.
- Desserts: kulfi, ice cream, rice pudding, cakes and festive sweets.
- Drinks: saffron latte, saffron teh tarik, saffron milk, Kashmiri kahwa and saffron sharbat.
You’ll find home versions of some of these in what to make with saffron and our saffron chicken biryani recipe.
How much saffron per plate?
| Dish or drink | Approximate amount |
|---|---|
| One plate of rice (briyani, minyak, mandi) | 4–5 threads (about 0.01g) |
| One cup of a drink (latte, teh tarik, milk) | 3–5 threads (about 0.01g) |
| A 10kg pot of rice | About 1g |
| A kenduri or event for 100 people | About 1g |
| A kenduri for 50 people | About 0.5g |
To convert grams to threads, see how many threads are in 1 gram of saffron.
What it costs per plate
This table uses our wholesale prices in November 2026. These are examples, and prices change; see our wholesale page for today’s prices.
| Pack | Price per gram | Saffron cost per plate (0.01g) | Saffron cost per 100-person pot (1g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50g | RM14.92 | About 15 sen | About RM15 |
| 100g | RM12.00 | About 12 sen | About RM12 |
| 250g | RM10.00 | About 10 sen | About RM10 |
| 500g | RM9.00 | About 9 sen | About RM9 |
| 1kg | RM7.50 | About 8 sen | About RM7.50 |
In other words, real saffron adds only a few sen to each plate, but a lot of value to your menu.
How much do you need each month?
| Business | Daily use | About per month |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant, 50 saffron plates a day | 0.5g | 15g |
| Restaurant, 100 plates a day | 1g | 30g |
| Large restaurant, 300 plates a day | 3g | 90g |
| Café, 30 saffron drinks a day | 0.3g | 9g |
| Caterer, 10 kenduri for 100 people a month | — | 10g |
We suggest buying one to two months’ supply at a time, so your saffron stays fresh.
A kitchen method: the daily saffron water
In a busy kitchen, counting threads for every plate isn’t practical. Many professional cooks make one batch of concentrated saffron water every morning:
- Grind 0.5g of saffron (about 200–250 threads) in a mortar with a little sugar.
- Add it to 250ml of warm (not boiling) water and let it steep for 20 minutes.
- Every 5ml (one teaspoon) of this water equals roughly 4–5 threads, which is one plate or one cup.
- Keep it in a closed container in the fridge and use it the same day.
This way every plate has the same colour and aroma, whoever is on shift. A small 0.01g scale also makes the daily weighing much easier.
Storing saffron in a commercial kitchen
- Divide a large pack into a few small airtight jars and write the opening date on each one.
- Keep the main stock away from steam, stoves and rice cookers; take out only the day’s amount.
- Always use a dry spoon.
More details in how to store saffron.
What to write on the menu
- If you use real saffron, say so. “Made with Iranian saffron” adds value to a dish and supports a higher price.
- If you only use food colouring or turmeric, don’t call the dish “saffron”. Customers notice, and it hurts their trust. We explain the difference in saffron vs turmeric vs safflower.
What to check when you buy wholesale
- Grade: Super Negin is only the red part and gives more colour, so you get the same result with less. See saffron grades.
- Lab results: ask the seller for a laboratory result. Our Super Negin saffron is ISO 3632 Category I.
- Threads, not powder: it is harder to tell whether powder is pure.
- Consistent quality: you should get the same colour and aroma every time.
- A formal invoice: for your business accounts.
Buying wholesale from Persian Signature
- Minimum wholesale order: 50g. Packs of 50g, 100g, 250g, 500g and 1kg; for 10kg and above, contact us.
- Payment by bank transfer, with a formal invoice.
- Delivery to all Malaysian states, including Sabah and Sarawak, dispatched within 1 working day after payment.
- We send photos and videos of the saffron on WhatsApp, and you can see the quality in person by arrangement.
- For corporate gifts, gift wrapping and your company name on request.
Full details are on our wholesale page.
Frequently asked questions
How much saffron does one plate of briyani need?
About 4–5 threads, roughly 0.01g.
What does the saffron in one plate cost?
At our wholesale prices in November 2026, about 8–15 sen, depending on the pack size.
What is the minimum wholesale order?
50g.
How much saffron does a restaurant need each month?
For 100 saffron plates a day, about 30g.
Can I make saffron water for several days?
It’s best to make it fresh every day.
Do you give free samples?
We don’t offer free samples, but we send photos and videos, and you can see the quality in person by arrangement. You can also try a small retail pack first, such as our 1g jar.
More on prices: saffron prices in Malaysia. To order wholesale, message us on WhatsApp.