Kashmiri saffron comes from Crocus sativus flowers. Three red-orange stigmas emerge from each flower. To make saffron, these are plucked by hand with great care and dried. To make 1 kg of saffron, approximately 1.5 lakh flowers are required.

Kashmiri saffron is known for its deep red color, strong aroma and rich taste. Compared to the saffron grown in Iran, Spain or Greece, Kashmiri saffron is considered to be the sweetest and most beautiful to look at.

Pampore area of ​​Pulwama district is a major center of saffron cultivation in Kashmir. In this area spread over 4500 thousand hectares, 4-5 tons of saffron is produced annually.

Saffron cultivation in Kashmir faces many challenges. Sometimes climate change, low rainfall and sometimes violence affect crop production. The Government of India granted the Geographical Indication tag to Kashmiri saffron in 2020.

Let us tell you that 80% of the world’s saffron comes from Iran. But the demand and price of Kashmiri saffron is very high. In America, Europe, Canada and Gulf countries, its price reaches $5000 per pound.

Saffron of Kashmir has a direct historical connection with Iran. In fact, Iranian Sufi saints had started the cultivation of saffron at this place centuries ago. Iran remains the world’s largest producer where 300 tonnes of saffron is cultivated annually. However, Kashmiri saffron is 60% to 75% more expensive than Iranian saffron due to its purity and other reasons.