Certain natural resources such as gems, diamonds and gold are highly valued because of their rarity. Due to the limited number of areas in which such are available and the high cost and effort required to obtain them, natural resources like gems and diamonds have become unaffordable to the average income earner.
One may already know that there are not only such rocky components, but also herbal things among the most valuable products in the world. This article is about saffron, a spice which is said to be the most expensive spice in the world due to its low supply relative to demand.
Saffron is considered to be the most expensive spice in the world. It is made from the pollen of saffron crocuses. Since the flower produces only three pollen, it takes hundreds of thousands of saffron flowers to produce about one kilogram of saffron. In addition, the use of large amounts of human labour to produce saffron is another major factor contributing to its rising prices.
Homeland
There are various opinions regarding the origin of saffron plants. Many of them agree that its homeland is present-day Iran. This opinion is based on the fact that Iran is still one of the largest producers of saffron in the world. Iran currently accounts for 90-93 percent of world saffron production. In addition, it has also been suggested that the saffron plant may be native to Greece or Mesopotamia.
Saffron is easier to grow in areas with dry climates. They are winter hardy and can withstand frost for several days. Saffron plants do not grow well in shady areas and needs sunlight. In most saffron growing countries, cultivation begins in June. For this purpose tubers with a length of 7-15 cm are used. Once the tubers are planted in June, their rootstock begins to grow between October and February of the following year. Iran, Spain, India, Greece, Afghanistan, Italy and Morocco are the major saffron growing countries today.
Saffron cultivation requires an annual rainfall of 1,000-1,500 millimetres (mm). If the area does not receive proper rainfall, it is essential to have a suitable source of water for cultivation. However, due to the rainy and cold weather during the flowering period of the plants, the flower yield is reduced and the resulting flowers are susceptible to various diseases. Another major problem faced in saffron cultivation is the damage caused by animals such as rabbits, rats and birds.
Pollens
The main reason why saffron is such an expensive commodity is the huge amount of labour required to harvest it. Nearly 440,000 saffron pollens are required to produce one kilogram of saffron. One flower produces only three pollen, so it requires a yield of 150,000 flowers per kilogram. It takes approximately 40 hours to harvest that amount. The saffron harvested from a single flower weighs about 30 grams, which is about seven grams when dried.
At present, saffron is produced by botanical hand and production process with different characteristics. There are different types of saffron in the market now that differ in colour, taste and aroma. Accordingly, in addition to the usual maroon-colour saffron, light red and yellow saffron can also be seen today. In many countries, the Government sets the standards for saffron and makes the relevant ratings. Among them, the price of high quality saffron is very high.
According to current surveys, the global production of saffron is about 250 tonnes per year. About 90-93 percent of it is produced in Iran. Saffron production in Greece and Afghanistan has increased significantly over the past few decades. Morocco and India are among the countries where saffron is the least cultivated.
The southern part of Italy also contributes significantly to saffron production. Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Central Africa, China, Egypt, France, Israel, Mexico, Sweden, Turkey, the United States and New Zealand are some of the other countries that produce saffron. The annual saffron production in those countries is only a few kilograms.
Ayurvedic
From time immemorial, saffron has been used extensively in medicinal purposes, especially in Ayurvedic medicine. In addition, saffron has a special place in food preparation as a pigment and spice. Saffron is widely used in Persian, Indian, Arabic and European cuisine. Saffron is also used to colour fabrics in countries such as China and India. Saffron is also one of the most expensive raw materials used in the perfume industry.
Due to the high demand for saffron and its rarity, artificial and inferior saffron production has been going on since ancient times. It was first reported in Europe. In the production of substandard saffron, only a small amount of real saffron is mixed with another substance similar to saffron and sold.
Other ingredients similar to saffron, are made by soaking fibre in beetroot and pomegranate juice. Another way is to dip saffron in honey or vegetable oil to increase its weight. It has become very easy for those who sell powdered saffron to sell inferior products. They often mix turmeric, chili powder or other similar powders with a very small amount of real saffron powder.