SAFFRON [KUMKUMAPPOO]

SAFFRON [KUMKUMAPPOO]

Saffron is the most expensive spice known across the globe. All populations relish and enjoy saffron for its flavor; cultivation of saffron occurs in many parts of the world. Mainly, it is cultivated in Iran and in India in Kashmir valley. The plant [Crocus sativus] also called ‘Saffron crocus’, is a tiny herb growing to just about 1 foot from the ground. Like Onion / Garlic, the plants are known by bulbs [tubers]; the plant is triploid [with 3 sets of chromosomes] and so sterile and unable to bear seeds.  propagation/ cultivation.

Being sterile, the plants do not bear fruits or seeds; so, Bulbs are used for propagation/ cultivation. [vegetative propagation]. Quite interestingly, the sterile plants blossom with flowers which are in different shades of lilac to pale blue. The flowers are attractive and showy. Each ovary has 3 stalks terminating in a tiny ball-like stigma rich red in colour.  The stalk-like extensions from the ovary of the flower is the Saffron that is marketed after proper drying. Technically the extensions are styles with 3 branch-like portions. These are dark red in tint terminating in crimson red stigma and are removed [with the stigma] from flowers and dried. On an average, each plant forms 4 flowers. All flowers / styles are harvested before they droop. A lakh and fifty thousand flowers are hand-picked by manual labour to gather about 1 kilogram of Saffron; it requires 40 hours of labour to harvest the required 1,50, 000 flowers. The final output is about 13gm of saffron from 1Kg of flowers. A Kg of Saffron is priced 5, 000 US Dollars.

COST

Saffron is high–priced in view of the labour-intensive efforts and low yield by weight.  Around 28 volatile/ aroma yielding compounds are described for saffron. Safranal is the main factor behind the aroma of saffron. The yellow-orange colour of Saffron [when added to milk] is ascribed to ALPHA CROCIN [α-crocin]; there are non-volatile antioxidants like, carotenoids – zeaxanthin, lycopene and  β- carotene products. Such slender filaments of saffron yield so many important products. Stigmas of flowers contain such products in higher volume.

PRODUCT QUALITY and ADULTERATION

ISO 3632 deals with quality of saffron. As such, there are 3 grades - I, II and III. Of them grades I and II are fine varieties and grade III is in its slot, as understandable. The gradation is based on chemical content largely influenced by the stigmas harvested. Tiny shreds of Beet root / Pomegranate fruit fibres dyed are adulterants in Saffron, owing to the market price it can fetch.

The belief that saffron used by pregnant women can influence the skin colour of the ’to-be’ born child is more a notion and a figment of imagination than any basis.

Prof. K. Raman