Saffron is ancient. The area which asserts its origin is ancient Mesopotamia. There, close to the city Sousa, was the town Azuripano (the world means field with Krokos) which was surrounded by extended lands where the flower was cultivated. That is the first reference in Krokos cultivation and it is dated from about 2300 b.C. The Persian word of the condiment is azafran. Obviously, from that comes the Arabic word zafaran. The Greek words zafor;a, zafoura, tzafoura and zafourana, and also the words saffron, safrani have that orogin and mean the specific condiment.

The ancient Greek Krokos means both the condiment and the flower and attract its origin from mythology.   While god Hermes was playing with his friend Krokos, he deadly injured him on the head. Three drops fell from the young man on the flower and formed the stigmata of the plant which, ever since, is named Krokos.