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The Kashmir Timeline

Saffron of Pampore

The purple autumn harvest of the karewas.

Saffron of Pampore photograph

Photo: Ashfaq ahanger · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Each October and November the karewa plateaus around Pampore turn purple with crocus flowers. Families pick them by hand at dawn and pull out the red stigmas, which are dried to make saffron, one of the most expensive spices in the world.

Facts

  • Kashmiri saffron received a geographical indication tag in 2020.
  • Around 150 flowers are needed for a single gram of dried saffron.