WEBVTT 00:00:01.913 --> 00:00:04.691 The most expensive spice in the world is saffron, 00:00:04.691 --> 00:00:06.469 and honestly, for good reason. 00:00:06.469 --> 00:00:09.717 It takes a thousand flowers to produce just one ounce, 00:00:09.717 --> 00:00:11.509 but now, if you can believe it, 00:00:11.509 --> 00:00:15.600 harvesting the magical stuff is getting even more complicated. NOTE Paragraph 00:00:16.134 --> 00:00:18.162 SPICE OF LIFE NOTE Paragraph 00:00:26.169 --> 00:00:29.074 line:1 (Mohammad) We sow these seeds that we take from the old stock. 00:00:29.074 --> 00:00:31.363 line:1 4 or 5-year old seeds. 00:00:32.579 --> 00:00:36.273 line:1 We take seeds when they have thickened. 00:00:36.273 --> 00:00:40.679 line:1 Then we distribute and sow them in rows. 00:00:41.418 --> 00:00:44.740 line:1 Then, by the second year, it starts producing in good numbers. NOTE Paragraph 00:00:45.650 --> 00:00:50.099 (narrator) Flower by flower, this is the world's most expensive spice. 00:00:50.099 --> 00:00:54.090 And Mohammad Yusuf has picked these saffron buds since he was 10 years old 00:00:54.090 --> 00:00:57.429 on a one-acre farm that's been his family for generations. NOTE Paragraph 00:00:57.789 --> 00:01:02.497 line:1 This is the season of flowers, and we're now collecting them. 00:01:02.869 --> 00:01:05.789 line:1 Whatever we harvest is in our fate. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:06.498 --> 00:01:09.972 (narrator) Saffron is harvested in a two-week window each fall. 00:01:09.972 --> 00:01:14.266 It only grows at a specific altitude, which in India means Kashmir, 00:01:14.266 --> 00:01:16.788 a territory at the foothills of the Himalayas, 00:01:16.788 --> 00:01:19.904 where about 32,000 people cultivate the spice. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:20.184 --> 00:01:21.483 line:1 See, this is a flower. 00:01:21.483 --> 00:01:25.859 line:1 When we reach home, we will open and separate it like this. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:26.429 --> 00:01:31.715 (narrator) Those red strings, once dried, sell for up to $4,000 a kilogram, 00:01:31.715 --> 00:01:34.183 and a few of those will pay the bills for the year. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:34.483 --> 00:01:36.112 line:1 We work until late night. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:36.112 --> 00:01:37.266 line:1 Yes. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:37.266 --> 00:01:39.133 line:1 There is no disturbances at night. 00:01:39.133 --> 00:01:40.699 line:1 Days are full disturbances. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:41.913 --> 00:01:45.604 (narrator) Kashmir's saffron is wildly popular across India 00:01:45.604 --> 00:01:47.236 for its use in basic cuisines, 00:01:47.236 --> 00:01:48.819 Ayurvedic medicine, 00:01:48.819 --> 00:01:49.850 and as a dye, 00:01:49.850 --> 00:01:51.727 which is used for Hindu religious garments 00:01:51.727 --> 00:01:52.807 and the Indian flag. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:54.906 --> 00:01:58.460 Saffron is also the color of the Hindu nationalist movement 00:01:58.460 --> 00:02:02.128 that's pledged its undying support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 00:02:02.128 --> 00:02:05.162 who has long sought more control over Kashmir, 00:02:05.162 --> 00:02:06.815 a majority Muslim area 00:02:06.815 --> 00:02:10.701 that's dealt with the Pakistani-backed separatist movement for decades. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:11.572 --> 00:02:15.238 In August 2019, Modi changed the Constitution 00:02:15.238 --> 00:02:17.631 to take away Kashmir's Special Autonomy. 00:02:17.631 --> 00:02:20.605 One nation, one constitution. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:20.914 --> 00:02:22.212 (narrator) He imposed a lockdown 00:02:22.212 --> 00:02:24.687 and cut off phone and internet services for months 00:02:24.687 --> 00:02:26.813 to prevent a mass uprising. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:27.536 --> 00:02:31.256 The political lockdown has since been replaced by a COVID-19 one, 00:02:31.256 --> 00:02:34.315 but Kashmiris still haven't gotten their internet freedom back, 00:02:34.315 --> 00:02:38.005 which has stunted the saffron trade and hit growers hard. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:39.785 --> 00:02:41.495 And on top of all that, 00:02:41.495 --> 00:02:43.995 farmers are facing an additional threat. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:43.995 --> 00:02:45.117 Climate change. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:45.117 --> 00:02:46.871 line:1 Since global warming, 00:02:46.871 --> 00:02:49.692 line:1 we've been facing a great loss. 00:02:49.928 --> 00:02:53.562 line:1 Before, we had rain during our times of need. 00:02:53.562 --> 00:03:00.220 line:1 But since that rain disappeared, we've been badly affected. NOTE Paragraph 00:03:01.530 --> 00:03:04.191 (narrator) Close to a third of Kashmir's saffron fields 00:03:04.191 --> 00:03:06.513 have disappeared since 1997, 00:03:06.513 --> 00:03:11.458 a crisis which prompted the government to invest 54 million dollars in 2010 00:03:11.458 --> 00:03:13.260 into reviving the industry. NOTE Paragraph 00:03:13.550 --> 00:03:17.197 line:1 They dug wells, placed pipes, et cetera, 00:03:17.197 --> 00:03:20.117 line:1 by they failed to deliver the water. 00:03:20.117 --> 00:03:26.133 line:1 Whatever they show, it is far from reality. NOTE Paragraph 00:03:26.663 --> 00:03:30.388 (narrator) After nine years, only about 15% of the sprinkler systems 00:03:30.388 --> 00:03:32.291 meant to help farmers have been built. 00:03:33.211 --> 00:03:34.837 Though the government has been slow 00:03:34.837 --> 00:03:37.551 to set up the infrastructure meant to boost production, 00:03:37.551 --> 00:03:41.266 it has come up with a plan to sell future harvests at a better price. NOTE Paragraph 00:03:42.148 --> 00:03:45.955 line:1 Our saffron qualitatively is the best in the world. 00:03:45.955 --> 00:03:48.430 line:1 In terms of aroma, taste, and flavor. 00:03:50.850 --> 00:03:53.963 line:1 We decided that we'd campaign before the authorities 00:03:53.963 --> 00:03:56.061 line:1 that we must get to the GI tag. NOTE Paragraph 00:03:56.751 --> 00:03:59.844 (narrator) GI stands for "Geographical Indication," 00:03:59.844 --> 00:04:04.618 a status the World Trade Organization gave to Kashmiri saffron in July 2020 00:04:04.618 --> 00:04:07.190 to certify its superior traits. 00:04:07.190 --> 00:04:09.711 Farmers can now get their harvest GI tag 00:04:09.711 --> 00:04:12.504 at a brand-new government processing facility. NOTE Paragraph 00:04:13.132 --> 00:04:15.455 line:1 The adulteration which otherwise used to be done 00:04:15.455 --> 00:04:17.846 line:1 or repacking the saffron from the other countries 00:04:17.846 --> 00:04:20.265 line:1 on the name of the Kashmiri saffron will stop, 00:04:20.265 --> 00:04:22.887 line:1 and it will generate huge revenues 00:04:22.887 --> 00:04:24.817 line:1 and a premium price for the farmers. NOTE Paragraph 00:04:28.030 --> 00:04:32.486 (narrator) Compared to Iranian saffron, which makes up 90% of the world supply, 00:04:32.486 --> 00:04:36.436 the Kashmiri variant has almost 30% more crosin, 00:04:36.436 --> 00:04:39.204 a compound that gives the spice its rich redness, 00:04:39.204 --> 00:04:40.664 pain relieving properties, 00:04:40.664 --> 00:04:42.124 and a taste so unique 00:04:42.124 --> 00:04:45.675 that Kashmiri chefs won't stand for using anything else. NOTE Paragraph 00:04:45.855 --> 00:04:49.299 line:1 There is a certain elegance in our Kashmiri saffron. 00:04:49.299 --> 00:04:51.056 line:1 There is saffron from Iran, 00:04:51.056 --> 00:04:53.625 line:1 but it only gives [food] color, just like turmeric. 00:04:53.625 --> 00:04:59.240 line:1 But our saffron reflects Kashmiri culture. 00:04:59.240 --> 00:05:01.253 line:1 You can tell the two apart from their taste. NOTE Paragraph 00:05:03.106 --> 00:05:06.468 (narrator) Bilal Ahmed oversees the preparation of wazwan, 00:05:06.468 --> 00:05:10.429 a traditional feast made for weddings, family gatherings, even funerals. 00:05:11.078 --> 00:05:14.669 Saffron is a key ingredient in several main dishes of the meal 00:05:14.669 --> 00:05:16.936 that can stretch for dozens of courses. NOTE Paragraph 00:05:17.106 --> 00:05:19.886 line:1 We bring saffron, then dry it on a copper plate. 00:05:19.886 --> 00:05:22.771 line:1 Then we crush it with a mortar and pestle. 00:05:22.771 --> 00:05:27.182 line:1 Next, we add some water to make a paste out of it. NOTE Paragraph 00:05:30.860 --> 00:05:34.647 (narrator) A proper wazwan typically requires two to three dozen chefs, 00:05:34.647 --> 00:05:35.707 one ton of meat, 00:05:35.707 --> 00:05:39.114 and about 50 grams or $200 worth of saffron. 00:05:39.970 --> 00:05:43.288 But wazwan have been smaller than usual for more than a year now, 00:05:43.288 --> 00:05:47.327 as the political and pandemic lockdowns have limited the size of gatherings. NOTE Paragraph 00:05:47.589 --> 00:05:49.376 line:1 For example, we were supposed to cook 00:05:49.376 --> 00:05:51.301 line:1 12 to 13 quintals of meat [2,600 lbs.-2,900 lbs.] 00:05:51.301 --> 00:05:52.256 line:1 for this function, 00:05:52.256 --> 00:05:54.035 line:1 but now it is only two and a half to three quintals [550 lbs.- 660 lbs.]. 00:05:54.035 --> 00:05:55.167 line:1 That's the difference. 00:05:55.167 --> 00:05:56.627 line:1 It's made a lot of difference. 00:05:56.627 --> 00:06:00.766 line:1 Our business is being affected, and it will change our culture. NOTE Paragraph 00:06:04.740 --> 00:06:07.937 (narrator) Life in Kashmir isn't just changing because of the pandemic, 00:06:07.937 --> 00:06:09.255 a political crisis, 00:06:09.255 --> 00:06:10.668 or global warming. 00:06:10.668 --> 00:06:13.496 The kids who grew up here are now making different choices, 00:06:13.496 --> 00:06:16.550 looking for opportunities outside the saffron fields 00:06:16.550 --> 00:06:18.704 and the kitchens of their homeland. 00:06:18.918 --> 00:06:20.216 For chef Ahmed, 00:06:20.216 --> 00:06:23.692 that means working harder to keep his culture thriving. NOTE Paragraph 00:06:23.901 --> 00:06:27.133 line:1 Our children aren't keen to do this work because it's very laborious. 00:06:27.133 --> 00:06:31.299 line:1 They say, "We will do some other business, but not all this." 00:06:31.955 --> 00:06:35.650 line:1 This will go on because I can't find comfort 00:06:35.650 --> 00:06:37.514 line:1 in doing anything else.