Kashmiri Saffron: World's Best Saffron

Kashmiri saffron is considered to be the best saffron in the world. It is known for its deep red colour, intense flavour, and delicate aroma.

Kashmiri saffron is grown in the Kashmir Valley, which is located in the Himalayas.

The climate in the Kashmir Valley is ideal for growing saffron, and the soil is rich in minerals. Kashmiri saffron is harvested by hand, and the stigmas are carefully dried in the sun.

Pure Saffron Kesar is grown mainly in Jammu and Kashmir, with the Kashmiri variety of high quality. It is the world's most expensive spice.

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People believe it was brought to India by the Persian rulers in 500. B.C., who planted its sapling in the local soil after falling in love with Kashmir.

Safran - Red gold from Kashmir

However, according to a local legend, two Sufi saints brought this spice to India around the 11th-12th century.

Locals believe that when Khawaja Masood Wali and Sheikh Sharif-u-Noise Wali got sick, they asked the local tribal leader to cure their disease.

They returned his favour by presenting him with a saffron crocus sapling. The monks have a golden dome dedicated to them in the Saffron town of India, Pampore.

Even today, in late autumn, locals offer prayers of gratitude to both the saints. According to another story, this spice is mentioned in old Hindu texts.

Zafran Pure Saffron from Pampore, Kashmir

About 150,000 fresh Saffron flowers produce one kilo of the finest quality, which sells for about U.S. $10 per gram, or about 3000-4500 USD / kg.

Mixing reds and stains with yellow styles produces low and cheap quality. People also eat flower petals as vegetables in Kashmiri cuisine.

It is also made from Gambir, a local medicine for coughs and colds. The stems are used as animal feed. Most of the best-quality produce is packaged for export purposes.

The types found in Indian markets, which have beautiful names like Lacha, Mogra, and Sarda, are grown in Kashmir. About one-eighth of that area is used to grow this spice.

Saffron Cultivation

It is cultivated in India, mainly in Jammu and Kashmir. Certain amateur efforts are being made in other parts of India, but they are very meagre or small.

Pampore Saffron

It is the world's best Kesar with the loveliest aroma, taste, and fragrance.

Pampore, a saffron town and township in the Pulwama district, is the largest production site in Kashmir, covering a 3,200-hectare area.

One hundred sixty-five hectares of land is used to grow this spice in Srinagar, the capital.

Three hundred acres of land in Budgam are also used for the same purpose. In Jammu, only Kishtwar has 50 hectares of land for growing this spice.

The following are a few local saffron field types that you should know about:

Mongra Saffron

This part of the Crocus sativus flower is a deep red spot enriched with all you need. It is the purest and most expensive form of Pure Kashmiri Saffron Kesar.

Laccha Saffron

To put it merely, this type comprises the Mongra and the yellowtail part. It is considered a lower quality product than Mongra.

Zarda Saffron

It is also called Spanish kesar. This type contains the flower's whole pollen, including the laccha area.

Health Benefits Saffron of Kashmir

This spice contains many plant chemical compounds with magical medicinal properties that protect your body.

It comprises many compounds and antioxidants. The crocin carotenoid compound gives the stains their golden colour.

It also comprises carotenoids, such as lycopene and zeaxanthin. These essential healing chemicals help protect the human body from the destruction caused by free radicals.

Thus, this spice acts as a shield from cancer.

It is also added to many germ-killing drugs and digestive and anti-pain treatments in many traditional medicines.

This spice has minerals like copper, potassium, manganese, iron, magnesium, selenium, and zinc.

It is also abundant in many essential vitamins, riboflavin, folic acid, niacin, and vitamin C, which are very important for your health.

It is believed to increase the blood's oxygen content and purify it. It is also a heart-related tonic and helps treat sicknesses caused by blood thinning.

It kills bacteria and is ideal for treating acne. Due to its antibacterial and exfoliating properties, it helps you get glowing, radiant skin.

It protects brain cells by preventing brain stroke.

Quality Checks

The colour determines the quality of this spice. The deeper, more intense the colour, the better the quality of the spice.

A 2-3 digit number reflects coloring strength. For example, your spice may have a colour strength of 180, 96, or 236. The higher this number, the better your spice.

According to the International Organization (ISO), the best quality is the value of 190 and 250 colour strengths.

The following are some things you should know before you buy Saffron.

Stigma and style.

The best quality of this spice contains just the Dried Stigmas of the flower. Including the style of the flower is a common practice.

However, some sellers cheat their buyers by adding extra parts to the flower. Make sure your spice contains only the stigma and style of the flower.

Crocin, Picrocrocin and Safranal levels.

These three agents give spices colour, aroma, and flavour; the levels of these elements decide the quality or grade.

The levels of these elements are tested in the laboratory. High levels of these elements indicate better quality.

Grade

The spice is graded as follows:

Grade 1 A+ Stigmas only. It is also known as 'All Red.'

Grade 2 A It includes the yellow-white style ends of the stigma along with the stigmas.

Grade 3 B It includes the entire style and the stigma, all attached.

You can also use the following ways to check the quality of this spice:

Smell: This spice has a sweet and spicy smell. It does not have a perfume smell. Its aroma falls under the honey and hay family of aroma.
Taste: This spice smells sweet but doesn't taste very pleasant. Some say it tastes as bitter as tobacco. Thus, the original spice does not taste sweet.
Color: This spice dyes the liquid it is soaked in, but its colour does NOT fade away. The stigmas change the colour of water, but their colour never fades. Also, it never dyes the liquid immediately. The stigmas need to be soaked for at least 10-15 minutes.
Soluble: The stigmas of this spice do not dissolve. The spice is not water-soluble.