Ms A L B A🍵🌱 📚🧬

Saffron Harvest 📍 Iran & Worldwide 🌍 Learn about the saffron varieties of the world: tasteatlas.com/saffron Often referred to as "red gold," saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. Derived from the vibrant crimson stigmas of the Crocus sativus flower, this precious ingredient is cultivated across a handful of regions—including Spain, India (Kashmir), Greece, and Morocco, but the undisputed heart of global production is Iran, which accounts for roughly 80 to 90% of the world's supply. The highly anticipated saffron harvest occurs during a brief autumn window, typically from mid- October to mid-November. In Iran, the epicenter of this harvest is the arid Khorasan province, specifically around agricultural hubs like Torbat-e Heydarieh, Ghaen, and Gonabad. The harvesting process is an extraordinary display of manual labor and centuries-old tradition. Pickers head to the purple-carpeted fields long before sunrise to hand-pick the flowers while they are still closed buds, protecting the delicate stigmas from the wilting heat of the sun. Once gathered, workers painstakingly separate the three fine red threads from each blossom by hand. Because it takes roughly 150,000 to 170,000 individual flowers to produce just one single kilogram of dried saffron, the entire effort relies on absolute human precision and dedication. After separation, the threads are carefully dried to lock in their intense crimson color, earthy floral aroma, and signature flavor. Photos: @safferan_nab