English

SAFFRON SI COMPLETE Edited ( 2)

There is probably no other spice as evocative and fascinating as saffron. This is evident from its association with Greek gods, cultivation in hanging gardens of Babylonia, reference in Bible (Song of Solomon) for its essence and aroma, utilization for medicinal purposes by practitioners like Hippocrates and Pliny, and as cosmetics by women like Cleopatra. Even after centuries it remains tantalizingly exotic, awakening a gluttonous desire. Nothing more than the dried stamens of fragile blossoms the autumn-flowering purple Crocus flowers are still gathered by hand from the ancient fields of Iran, Greece, Italy, Kashmir and Spain. Most saffron is grown in a belt of land ranging from the Mediterranean in the west to Kashmir in the east. Annually, around 200 tonnes of saffron are produced worldwide, and Iran, Spain, India, Greece, Azerbaijan, Morocco and Italy are the major producers of saffron. Its cultivation has even spread beyond these conventional boundaries to unconventional areas in countries like China, Afghanistan, France, Switzerland, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Japan, Australia (Tasmania), New Zealand, Argentina, and USA. In contrast there are some countries where its cultivation ha

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