Have you ever wondered why is Saffron so expensive? Well it is just a tiny spice but what makes it so expensive? Well there are few factors that add into the value of Saffron. Mind you Saffron would be expensive but it’s worth it when it comes to health benefits. Here are some of the factors that makes Saffron expensive.
The weather
Saffron is not an easy crop to grow because it requires a very specific temperature. It thrives in extreme temperatures of cold and as well as hot. It grows in areas of warm Summer and cold Winter.
The harvest
Saffron needs to be handpicked very carefully which is a very time-consuming task. It is thin like a thread and grows inside a crocus flower, one should be very careful when separating a Saffron from a flower. A lot of labor is also needed throughout the process. The process of harvesting is very hard and brutal as it consumes a lot of hard work. As the plant is very low, picking up Saffron requires bending over and collecting it very carefully without stepping over the plant.
The laborers who harvest it need to be very careful with time and must act quickly before it is too late for them. The workers also need to be careful during the harvesting time as it is quite possible that they can hurt themselves or the plant.
The scarcity
One of the main reasons why Saffron is so expensive is because each flower of Saffron only produces three stigmas that are called Saffron. So for 1 gram of Saffron you need 400 flowers and for 1 pound of Saffron you need 75,000 of Crocus flowers. Each thread-like structure has a flavor and adds up to the quantity of Saffron.
The growth is slow
Saffron is a slow growth crop and it needs extraordinary time for reproduction. The time period in which Saffron can be harvested is very short. It needs to be harvested in a particular season and that too at the time of early mornings. The harvesting period is limited to two consecutive weeks.
Special Care
Saffron is a delicate plant. It should not be exposed to excessive water, sunlight and cold. Through this way it can be prevented from wilting. It is grown from a single mother bulb. This bulb then splits into half and creates a clone. In this way, Saffron is only able to reproduce.
High demand leads to fake Saffron
As Saffron is very much expensive and needs a lot of hard work in its production is one of the main reasons it is not harvested everywhere. Throughout the world high quality strands are in extreme demand. In order to fulfil the need fake saffron are being created and sold as real Saffron.
The fake ones are usually made by different sorts of materials, for instance corn silk, coconut fibers and horsehair. By using the lowest grade stigma fake saffron is dyed and passes off as the highest grade stigma.
Who is the biggest producer of Saffron?
Iran is the biggest exporter of Saffron. About 90% of the world supply of Saffron is by Iran. Iran exports four grades of Saffron. Besides being very expensive throughout the world it is the most used spice in Iran, perks of being a producer of Saffron, I guess. Saffron is mostly an ingredient of almost all recipes in Iran.
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