“Azafran Flor”

Ranchero brand.

When Filipino cooks stateside can’t find kasubha, they head to the Mexican food aisle and look for safflower or flor de azafran.

Safflower flowers are used in cooking as a cheaper substitute for saffron. The scientific name of the safflower plant is Carthamus tinctorious, while saffron is Crocus sativus.

What to use “Azafran Flor” for? Food coloring. In Philippine cuisine, kasubha is used to color such dishes as arroz caldo.

This product is distributed stateside by Ranchero Latin Foods based in Los Angeles, California.

Shelf life: more than a year

Net weight: 1/4 ounce or 7 grams