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| Saffron Red gold
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What is it?
It is uncertain when saffron made its first appearance, although it seems very likely that this spice originated from a place called Sumer located in Mesopotamia. Archeological finds of ceramic tablets currently displayed in museums throughout the world–Louvre, Britishc, Berlin, Istambul, Cairo, Philadelphia, and more–provide evidence of saffron's origin.If credit is given to these Sumerian texts, which are the most ancient writings known to man about saffron, it can be established that saffron was already in use by humans around 3,300 B.C.
The best saffron is gathered at the end of the yearly harvest, and the best way to purchase it is while it is still attached to the flower.
The harvesting process of saffron requires a person to manually reach into the flower and remove its three red stigmas. Once this has been accomplished, the stigmas are cautiously toasted, producing what we commonly call "saffron." Due to the tedious process of preparing saffron, it is easy to understand why it is worth such a high price. The harvesting of saffron is a tradition going back centuries, harvested by entire families that live in and around the region of production. 
The flower only opens during a period of 20 to 25 days each year for about 2 hours a day, usually a few hours before sunrise. The opening of the flowers is affected by the microclimate of each region where saffron is grown. Once it has been verified that the stigmas are fully developed, the flowers are cut. Cutting of the flower has to be done as soon as full development has been determined, regardless of climatic activity, which sometimes creates ardous and difficult working conditions. After the flowers have been cut and collected, they are taken to the homes of those whom have the expertise in removing and toasting the stigmas in order for the world to enjoy the gift of nature named saffron.
Saffron is produced in a variety of different parts of the world, such as Turkey, Greece, Egypt and Iran. The finest Saffron is produced in Spain. Specific regions in Spain include: Ciudad Real, Albacete, Toledo, Cuenca, Teruel and Murcia. |
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