From a flower in Kashmir comes a precious spice

SRINAGAR, India: Cradled by low mountains and spread over a vast expanse of small, fertile fields, a sea of ​​purple flowers opens in Himalayan Kashmir to produce one of the world’s most precious spices, saffron.

In late autumn, families in the Muslim-majority region race against the clock to harvest the crocus flowers, which bloom for only two weeks a year. Men, women and children crouch as they laboriously pick the delicate flowers and place them in wicker baskets.

They then separate the purple petals by hand, leaving each flower with three tiny, delicate stigmas that are then dried in the sun, becoming one of the most expensive and sought-after spices.

All over the world, saffron is used in products ranging from food to medicine to cosmetics. One kilogram requires the stigmas of about 150,000 flowers and can easily be sold for between US $ 3,000 and US $ 4,000.

In Kashmir, the spice is a source of pride and has fueled the region’s economy and culture for centuries. But over the years, its cultivation has faced problems due to climate change, poor irrigation facilities, and imports of cheaper Iranian saffron.

Conflicts in the region have also affected its production and export. For decades, a separatist movement has fought against Indian rule in Kashmir, which is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed by both. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have died in the conflict.

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To boost the cultivation and export of saffron, the Kashmiri authorities have established a high-tech spice park to increase the quality and quantity of production. But very few farmers find the latest technology lucrative, and most still use centuries-old techniques to pick and dry saffron.

Most of the Kashmir saffron is grown in Pampore, a small town south of the region’s main city, Srinagar.

In Kashmir, the spice is primarily used in Kehwa, a slow brewed sugary green tea infused with spices like cinnamon and cardamom and garnished with almonds. Saffron is also used in Wazwan, a traditional Kashmiri wedding meal cooked by special chefs that includes more than 30 dishes.