Saffron which is the most expensive spices of worldis amongst the rare blooms of nature.
It is very evident that there are only places in the world where plantation of
saffron takes place and amongst those fertile land Kashmir owes the privilege
to be one. Within Kashmir you will find two different places where saffron is
cultivated. Pampur is amongst the most renowned site of Kashmir which is
facilitated with an essence of saffron this small town which is located at a
distance of around 13 km from Srinagar is blessed with the Bloomingdales of
saffron. The cultivation of the same follows the season of autumn and during
that time you would be shocked to see the vivid brilliance of saffron.The scientific name of Saffron is Crocus sativus and its purple color that appears just above the ground makes it one of the most magnificent blossoms. The main elements of Kashmiri saffron is its orange stigma which is used in flavoring worldwide cuisines. Saffron of Spain Before we talk about the production and the plantation of the saffron in Spain we must understand that almost 70% of world saffron production comes from the womb of Spain. It is said that saffron which is renowned as azafran in Spain was brought by Asians and the Moors were the first to escort saffron in 11thcentury. Saffron in Spain is considered as a part of history because it witnessed the process of evolution. One must understand that the value of saffron is very high and there was a time when people used to exchange saffron as a part of Currency. Castilla-La Mancha of Spain is associated with the plantation of Saffron and the same field was organized in 2001 to support and enhance the production of the saffron. Spaniards saffron is renowned for its quality and when it comes to its price than it is twice higher than that of Iranian saffron. Season of saffron in Spain revolves around the months of October and November and the process of harvest should be done within a couple of days. Plucking, processing, plantation and harvesting all these process are done by hand. Saffron of Iran Saffron and Iran in fact is a synonym because it contributes almost 80% of world saffron production making it the largest producer of saffron in world. This expensive ingredients of spices are grown is traditional ways and Iranian framers are restricted to use any fertilizer to support the plantation of saffron. Iranian saffron which is renowned for its strength and color is also well known for its quality. Birjand, Ghayen, Ferdows in South Khorasan Province, Gonabad and Torbat-e Heydarieh in Razavi Khorasan Province is amongst the major hinterlands of Iran where saffron is produce. Saffron of Greece The red gold saffron of Greece that reflects the history of ancient Minoans still provokes the glory of saffron plantation. Saffron in Greece is widely use for medicinal purpose and owing to its large production the Greece is ranked second and in 2005 it produced around 5.7 tons of Saffron. The red gold saffron of Greece is produce by Saffron Producers of Kozani and each of the pigments is officially recognized as organic and of high quality. In Greece the production of saffron starts during the month of October and just after its production the processing starts in couple of days which in turn allows saffron to keep its quality and elements. Saffron of Italy
In Italy saffron is renowned as red powder and much of its production are done on the mainland of Abruzzi. Italian revere saffron as zafferano and it is widely used in Risotto alla Milanese the yellow color of Risotto is mobilized by the elements of saffron. In Italy saffron is cultivated during the months of October and owing to its quality the saffron of Italy is renowned for being one of the best zafferano of the world.
