Why is saffron, the most expensive spice in the world, so expensive?
Saffron is a very expensive spice and is also known as the 'world's most expensive spice.' Here we have summarized how to cultivate saffron and its history.
Ancient art and genetics combine to reveal the origins of the world's most expensive spices
Saffron: The Story of the World's Most Expensive Spice - JSTOR Daily
https://daily.jstor.org/saffron-the-story-of-the-worlds-most-expensive-spice/
Master the use of saffron! Mini-course & recommended recipes | Pick Up! Spice & Herb List | S&B Foods Co., Ltd.
https://www.sbfoods.co.jp/recipe/pickup/detail/042.html
When used in cooking, saffron can give a vibrant yellow color, which is why it is highly valued for creating visually appealing dishes such as saffron rice and paella.
However, saffron is quite expensive, making it difficult to use regularly. For example, on Amazon.co.jp, a set of five bottles of S&B saffron containing 0.4g each is sold for 3,409 yen.
Amazon | S&B Saffron 0.4g x 5 pieces | S&B | Spices and Herbs Online Store
On the other hand, turmeric, which is used to give the same yellow color as saffron, is sold in a set of four 14g bottles for 998 yen (tax included). If you compare the prices per gram, saffron costs about 1,705 yen per gram, while turmeric costs about 14 yen per gram, a price difference of more than 120 times.
Amazon | S&B Turmeric (Powder) 14g x 5 pieces | S&B | Spices and Herbs Online Store
The reason why saffron is so expensive is because of the way it is harvested. Saffron is the pistil of the saffron flower, and it takes 170,000 flowers to harvest 1 kg of saffron spice. In addition, the pistils of saffron must be collected by hand, and there is also the problem that the harvesting period is only a few days. These factors combine to make saffron a costly spice.
The history of such expensive saffron dates back to around 2300 BC. The Sargon Legend, which records the history of the Akkadian Kingdom , the first unified dynasty of Mesopotamian civilization, states that the birthplace of Sargon I, who founded the Akkadian Kingdom, was 'the city of saffron.' In addition, a study published in 2022 showed that saffron breeding began in Greece around 1700 BC.
Taketa City, Oita Prefecture , which boasts the largest saffron production in Japan, uses a unique production method of 'making saffron flowers bloom indoors.' Taketa saffron is said to have several times the amount of active ingredients as foreign saffron. For details on Taketa City's saffron cultivation method, please see the link below.
Saffron is a spice also known as 'red gold.' It's harvest time at Takeda Yaseyaya, the number one producer of saffron in Japan. | edit Oita
https://edit.pref.oita.jp/series/food-culture/3115/
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in Junk Food, Posted by log1o_hf