GOLD DUST

IT’S SAFFRON’S LABOUR-INTENSIVE PRODUCTION THAT MAKES IT WORTH MORE THAN THE PRECIOUS YELLOW METAL

Words Jennifer Stackhouse

Have you ever stopped to wonder what plant produces saffron? Those long orange threads sold as saffron come from a crocus flower that grows from a corm. The saffron crocus flowers in autumn, producing lavender cup-like flowers with a cluster of golden and red filaments in the centre of each flower. It’s not just pretty. By the time it reaches the retail market, this flower — or the orange-red threads it produces — is worth gram for gram more than gold. It may seem a lot to pay for a spice, even one as intriguing as saffron, but there’s good reason why it’s so expensive. The cost is an indication of the long journey between growing saffron and selling it. Saffron is used to flavour and colour foods such as rice and chicken. The…

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Good Organic Gardening (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue #13.6

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