Spain is one of the blessed destinations where saffron cultivation is at its peak. Such is the mass production of saffron that it alone satisfies 70 percent of the world’s saffron demands. Saffron in Spain comes in different varieties and in several regions. Some of the regions in Spain where saffron cultivation is good include the areas of Madrid and Andalucía. However, the saffron growers in Spain face stiff competition from those of the Middle East producers because of the increasing prices and saffron adulteration prices.
There are not many places in the world where saffron can be grown or cultivated and Kashmir is one of such blessed places. There are two main regions in Kashmir where saffron is cultivated in large scale and one of such place is Pamper, which is a small town 13 km from Srinagar. The saffron flower is known by the name of Crocus Sativus and the plant is so small that it can barely be seen on the ground from top. It is because of this fact that it requires heavy labour to extract saffron from the stigmas. The saffron flower blooms in the month of autumn and saffron of Kashmir has a unique aroma and taste that no other variety of saffron found in other regions has. The orange stigmas that are harvested are used for different purposes like cooking and even for medical purposes. Saffron in Kashmir is used in a special tea that is traditionally known as Kashiwa.
Saffron herb is the most valuable and expensive in the world and it has been utilized for over a hundred years in the world for different purposes like cooking and preparing medicines. It can also be used as a supplement to stimulate digestion, purify the blood and even to improve a human’s appetite. Although saffron has numerous medical benefits but there are several other remedies that can be cured with saffron as per the latest researches of medical sciences. There are many uses of saffron which still needs to be discovered and science does not have any special explanation for this herb. The quality of saffron depends a lot on the growing area and the climatic conditions of the place where it is cultivated. However, with time the malpractices in form of saffron adulteration are also increasing so, one should be careful while purchasing saffron from any local vendor.