All you need to make sugar cubes at home is sugar and water. But today, I’m adding a luxurious twist: saffron. Inspired by my love for saffron nabat, a traditional Persian saffron rock candy often enjoyed with tea, I’m creating saffron ghand, saffron-infused sugar cubes. These little golden gems capture the same rich, aromatic flavor I crave, but in a form that’s perfect for when I want the elegance of ghand instead of nabat.
🌟 How to Use Ghand with Persian Tea
In Persian tea culture, ghand (sugar cubes) are traditionally used to enhance the tea-drinking experience. With saffron ghand, you also get the added aroma and subtle floral notes of saffron, which beautifully complements the strong, black Persian tea. Here’s how it’s typically done:
Step 1: Hold the Ghand in Your Mouth: Instead of stirring the sugar cube into the tea, you place a cube of ghand between your teeth or under your tongue.
Step 2: Sip the Tea Through the Sugar: You then take small sips of hot tea, letting it pass over the sugar cube. This gently sweetens the tea as you drink, allowing you to control the sweetness with each sip.
This method is not only about taste. It’s also a ritual that adds a sense of mindfulness and tradition to the tea-drinking experience.
🧾Ingredients in this recipe
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🍳How to Make This Recipe
Grind the saffron threads using a mortar and pestle until fine and steep the saffron in how water or over ice until the water is room temperature. 
Place the sugar in a medium bowl and add two teaspoons of saffron water. Using clean or gloved hands, mix thoroughly until the liquid is evenly absorbed and the mixture resembles damp sand. If needed, add an additional teaspoon of saffron water to achieve a workable texture. Spoon the sugar mixture into the mold’s cavities, heaping it slightly. Then press it down firmly to ensure it’s tightly packed and takes on the shape of the mold. Proper compaction is key to helping it hold together. Use the back of the spoon to help. Leave the filled molds at room temperature to dry. Depending on the sugar’s initial consistency, the humidity in your environment, and the size and depth of the molds, drying can take anywhere from 1 hour to overnight. Gently unmold, then let the sugar cubes sit at room temperature until they are completely dry throughout.
Saffron Sugar Cubes (Saffron Ghand)
Print Recipe SaveIngredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 pinch saffron
- 2 tsp water plus more if necessary
Instructions
- Grind the saffron threads using a mortar and pestle until fine and steep the saffron in how water or over ice until the water is room temperature.
- Place the sugar in a medium bowl and add two teaspoons of saffron water. Using clean or gloved hands, mix thoroughly until the liquid is evenly absorbed and the mixture resembles damp sand. If needed, add an additional teaspoon of saffron water to achieve a workable texture.
- Spoon the sugar mixture into the mold’s cavities, heaping it slightly. Then press it down firmly to ensure it’s tightly packed and takes on the shape of the mold. Proper compaction is key to helping it hold together. Use the back of the spoon to help.
- Leave the filled molds at room temperature to dry. Depending on the sugar’s initial consistency, the humidity in your environment, and the size and depth of the molds, drying can take anywhere from 1 hour to overnight.
- Gently unmold, then let the sugar cubes sit at room temperature until they are completely dry throughout.
Nutrition
🫖 More tea sweets to enjoy with your tea
In Iranian culture, offering tea with something sweet like ghand, nabat, dates, or pastries is a symbol of hospitality and warmth. When guests arrive, serving tea with sweets is a way to show respect and make them feel welcome. Here are some more favorites.
