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Saffron |
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Saffron
is the slender, dried, reddish-
brown, flattened stigma of a small crocus
of the iris family. It has a characteristic
aromatic odour and a peculiar, exotic,
bitter taste. Often called 'The Golden
Spice', saffron has a history rooted in
antiquity. It has always held a very special
place for its extraordinary medicinal and
flavouring properties as well as for being a
striking yellow dye. Ancient Romans strew |
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saffron
on the floors of public meeting places to scent the air. Indian
saffron is cultivated on a large scale in the Jammu & Kashmir
valley
whose cool dry climate and rich soil with excellent drainage and organic
content make the location an ideal thriving ground for this spice.
By
every standard, Indian saffron is considered superior to its foreign
counterparts. The yield of saffron stigmas is quite small. It takes
almost
100,000 hand-picked blooms to obtain just one Kilogram of dried
saffron!. No wonder then that saffron holds the distinction of being
the
world's costliest spice.
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