Is it permissible for a woman observing 'iddah to drink saffron with tea or coffee, or to eat it as a spice with food?

A woman in mourning (haddad) is prohibited from using perfume due to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) prohibition of it. However, scholars have differed on whether this prohibition extends to eating and drinking perfumed substances. Some have limited it to applying perfume to clothes and the body, while others – namely the Shafi'is – hold that the prohibition includes both application, eating, and drinking.

Shaykh Zakariyya al-Ansari mentioned that a woman in mourning, regarding the prohibition of perfume, eating it, and anointing oneself with it, is like someone in a state of ihram (for Hajj or Umrah), and what is forbidden for the latter is forbidden for her. They have stipulated that a person in ihram is not permitted to consume perfume as long as some of its properties remain (such as taste, color, or scent).

If no taste, color, or scent of the perfume remains in the food or drink, then there is no expiation for consuming it. However, if its scent remains, then expiation is obligatory for consuming it, according to the Shafi'is.

In summary: it is permissible for a woman in mourning to drink perfumed beverages and eat perfumed foods if nothing of their properties (taste, color, or scent) remains. However, if any of these properties remain, it is advisable to avoid them to steer clear of scholarly dispute.