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The most expensive spice
in the world is saffron,
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and honestly, for good reason.
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It takes a thousand flowers
to produce just one ounce,
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but now, if you can believe it,
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harvesting the magical stuff
is getting even more complicated.
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SPICE OF LIFE
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(Mohammad) We sow these seeds
that we take from the old stock.
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4 or 5-year old seeds.
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We take seeds when they have thickened.
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Then we distribute and sow them in rows.
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Then, by the second year,
it starts producing in good numbers.
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(narrator) Flower by flower,
this is the world's most expensive spice.
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And Mohammad Yusuf has picked these
saffron buds since he was 10 years old
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on a one-acre farm
that's been his family for generations.
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This is the season of flowers,
and we're now collecting them.
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Whatever we harvest is in our fate.
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(narrator) Saffron is harvested
in a two-week window each fall.
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It only grows at a specific altitude,
which in India means Kashmir,
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a territory at the foothills
of the Himalayas,
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where about 32,000 people
cultivate the spice.
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See, this is a flower.
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When we reach home,
we will open and separate it like this.
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(narrator) Those red strings, once dried,
sell for up to $4,000 a kilogram,
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and a few of those
will pay the bills for the year.
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We work until late night.
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Yes.
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There is no disturbances at night.
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Days are full disturbances.
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(narrator) Kashmir's saffron
is wildly popular across India
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for its use in basic cuisines,
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Ayurvedic medicine,
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and as a dye,
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which is used for Hindu religious garments
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and the Indian flag.
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Saffron is also the color of
the Hindu nationalist movement
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that's pledged its undying support
to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
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who has long sought
more control over Kashmir,
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a majority Muslim area
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that's dealt with the Pakistani-backed
separatist movement for decades.
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In August 2019,
Modi changed the Constitution
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to take away Kashmir's Special Autonomy.
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One nation, one constitution.
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(narrator) He imposed a lockdown
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and cut off phone
and internet services for months
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to prevent a mass uprising.
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The political lockdown has since
been replaced by a COVID-19 one,
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but Kashmiris still haven't gotten
their internet freedom back,
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which has stunted the saffron trade
and hit growers hard.
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And on top of all that,
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farmers are facing an additional threat.
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Climate change.
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Since global warming,
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we've been facing a great loss.
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Before, we had rain
during our times of need.
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But since that rain disappeared,
we've been badly affected.
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(narrator) Close to a third
of Kashmir's saffron fields
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have disappeared since 1997,
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a crisis which prompted the government
to invest 54 million dollars in 2010
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into reviving the industry.
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They dug wells, placed pipes, et cetera,
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by they failed to deliver the water.
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Whatever they show,
it is far from reality.
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(narrator) After nine years,
only about 15% of the sprinkler systems
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meant to help farmers have been built.
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Though the government has been slow
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to set up the infrastructure
meant to boost production,
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it has come up with a plan
to sell future harvests at a better price.
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Our saffron qualitatively
is the best in the world.
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In terms of aroma, taste, and flavor.
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We decided that we'd campaign
before the authorities
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that we must get to the GI tag.
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(narrator) GI stands for
"Geographical Indication,"
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a status the World Trade Organization
gave to Kashmiri saffron in July 2020
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to certify its superior traits.
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Farmers can now get their harvest GI tag
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at a brand-new government
processing facility.
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The adulteration which
otherwise used to be done
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or repacking the saffron
from the other countries
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on the name of
the Kashmiri saffron will stop,
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and it will generate huge revenues
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and a premium price for the farmers.
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(narrator) Compared to Iranian saffron,
which makes up 90% of the world supply,
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the Kashmiri variant
has almost 30% more crosin,
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a compound that gives the spice
its rich redness,
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pain relieving properties,
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and a taste so unique
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that Kashmiri chefs won't stand
for using anything else.
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There is a certain elegance
in our Kashmiri saffron.
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There is saffron from Iran,
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but it only gives [food] color,
just like turmeric.
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But our saffron reflects Kashmiri culture.
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You can tell the two apart
from their taste.
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(narrator) Bilal Ahmed oversees
the preparation of wazwan,
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a traditional feast made for weddings,
family gatherings, even funerals.
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Saffron is a key ingredient
in several main dishes of the meal
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that can stretch for dozens of courses.
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We bring saffron,
then dry it on a copper plate.
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Then we crush it with a mortar and pestle.
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Next, we add some water
to make a paste out of it.
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(narrator) A proper wazwan typically
requires two to three dozen chefs,
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one ton of meat,
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and about 50 grams
or $200 worth of saffron.
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But wazwan have been smaller than usual
for more than a year now,
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as the political and pandemic lockdowns
have limited the size of gatherings.
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For example, we were supposed to cook
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12 to 13 quintals of meat
[2,600 lbs.-2,900 lbs.]
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for this function,
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but now it is only two and a half
to three quintals [550 lbs.- 660 lbs.].
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That's the difference.
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It's made a lot of difference.
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Our business is being affected,
and it will change our culture.
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(narrator) Life in Kashmir isn't
just changing because of the pandemic,
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a political crisis,
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or global warming.
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The kids who grew up here
are now making different choices,
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looking for opportunities
outside the saffron fields
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and the kitchens of their homeland.
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For chef Ahmed,
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that means working harder
to keep his culture thriving.
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Our children aren't keen to do this work
because it's very laborious.
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They say, "We will do some
other business, but not all this."
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This will go on because
I can't find comfort
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in doing anything else.