It's those long laborious hours of work that makes saffron so expensive. Mr Alaniz says saffron's high price tag is the reason it has so much promise in war torn Afghanistan. But it is also in many ways the root of its biggest problem: it makes it extremely tempting for counterfeiters. He says they're battling against the disappointment some shoppers have felt in the past. They've spent money on an extravagant product, only to find it didn't have much flavour because it was substandard or even fake saffron.
Their saffron is now doing well with specialist buyers and high end restaurants. And they hope to rebuild its reputation amongst ordinary consumers in the same way. But the plan will only work if the product consistently delivers on its promise; and despite recent efforts to introduce more rigorous standards, stories continue to circulate of horse hairs, corn silks, and shredded paper, all masquerading as saffron.
Earlier this year there were reports of the synthetic food colourings tartrazine and sunset yellow being used in counterfeit powdered saffron. Sally Francis, botanist and saffron grower, says only a few weeks ago she saw safflower, a common substitute from the unrelated thistle family, being sold as saffron in a street market in the Netherlands.
And she's met plenty of tourists returning from exotic holidays with what they thought was bargain saffron, only to find out it was bogus. Even legitimate saffron can vary enormously depending on how it's produced, she says. Often it's simply that careless harvesting has meant some of the flavourless parts of the crocus have found their way into the final mix. It's still saffron but rather than "packing a punch" like the purest spice, what you're basically getting is "expensive yellow food colouring," she says.
You're talking Trabant and Lamborghini," she says. Look for a deep red hue that colours water orangey-yellow when submerged. Smell it and put it on your tongue - fake saffron has very little aroma or flavour. Ms Francis produces saffron on a small scale in Norfolk. The UK is a tiny player in the global saffron market, despite a saffron tradition going back several centuries. But it is one of many countries from New Zealand to Germany, Greece to India, where producers are recognising the potential for high-grade saffron, with transparent country of origin and quality labelling, to reassure consumers that it is worth the high price tag.
In the countries where saffron provides a source of income for farmers, from Iran to Afghanistan to Morocco, saffron flowers are harvested at dawn, because overexposure from the sun degrades the quality of the flower. On top of that, saffron flowers which need to be hand picked only bloom one week per year and typically produce just three usable stigma threads per flower.
After the flowers are harvested, the labor-intensive work of removing the stigma begins. It can take laborers up to 40 hours of handpicking stamens to produce 1 pound 0. Not only is it difficult to harvest the spice, but growing it is a challenge in itself. Flowering only during the months of October and November, saffron needs hot weather, direct sunlight and well-drained soil to thrive. Italy, Iran and Spain are amongst the world's largest saffron producers with Iran itself producing 90 percent of the world's supply.
Pound for pound, saffron is literally more expensive than gold. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Ghalehgolabbehbahani: As an Iranian, every day we use saffron in our dishes.
We cook with saffron a lot. So far I cannot find an alternative for the taste of saffron. Narrator: It give dishes like paella its signature flavor and golden color. It's also used in broths, breads, and marinades. When saffron is broken down, it creates a yellow-gold dye. Ghalehgolabbehbahani: Saffron contains some chemical components, which are really expensive like picrocrocin, crocin, and safranal.
They are three main components or compounds which are responsible about the taste and color and smell of saffron. Saffron is inherently a valuable thing. Narrator: Historically, people have tried passing turmeric, red marigold petals, and lily flower stigmas as saffron. But the flavor and dye is totally different. In large quantities, saffron can be a potent, happiness-inducing narcotic.
And research suggests it may help reduce the symptoms for Alzheimer's disease, depression, and PMS. Who knew this little spice packed such a punch?
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