GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – ISO standards for saffron! I wasn’t expecting this in my mailbox. Did you know (I’m reading their press release) that one kilo costs about €30,000 on the market and about 250,000 flowers are needed for 1 kg of saffron?
I’m waiting for spring to come so friends in Venthône in Valais can give me some little saffron bulbs. I’m directly above them, about 400 metres uphill, so this will be an experiment to see how well it grows – and the next step will be to taste wines, especially local ones, to see which go best with saffron mashed potatoes and other family delicacies. Given the amount of work it takes to harvest it, I won’t be selling my saffron.
I’m hoping to find some saffron in my dinner tonight, where I’ll be tasting older Swiss vintage wines.
Meanwhile, here is what the ISO standards people in Geneva tell us:
“Otherwise known as “red gold” and well known in cooking, saffron is the world’s most expensive spice. But, as an object of desire it can also be a victim of fraud. Low quality saffron is often traded on international markets, and the specifications for pure saffron are not always respected. So, what is saffron worthy of its name?
Extracted from the pistils of the crocus flower, it is the harvest method for saffron that is behind its high value.
Dr. A. Jayathilak, Chairman of the ISO subcommittee ISO/TC 34/SC 7, spices, culinary herbs and condiments, explained: ‘Saffron is mostly grown in a belt of land ranging from Mediterranean in the west to Kashmir in the east. It is a unique crop because each stigma needs to be picked by hand, one by one. Its high value has made saffron the object of frequent adulteration.'”
Clearly, we have to send Mr Chairman a little Swiss saffron when it’s ready, beautiful condiment, along with a little bottle of wine.
Here’s what ISO says about knowing the difference between good, bad and just plain cheap imitation saffron.
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