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The most expensive spice [br]in the world is saffron,
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and honestly, for good reason.
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It takes a thousand flowers [br]to produce just one ounce,
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but now, if you can believe it,
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harvesting the magical stuff [br]is getting even more complicated.
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SPICE OF LIFE
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(Mohammad) We sow these seeds[br]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,[br]it starts producing in good numbers.
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Flower by flower,[br]this is the world's most expensive spice.
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And Mohammad Yusuf has picked these[br]saffron buds since he was 10 years old
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on a one-acre farm[br]that's been his family for generations.
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This is the season of flowers,[br]and we're now collecting them.
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Whatever we harvest is in our fate.
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Saffron is harvested [br]in a two-week window each fall.
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It only grows at a specific altitude,[br]which in India means Kashmir,
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a territory at the foothills [br]of the Himalayas,
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where about 32,000 people [br]cultivate the spice.
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See, this is a flower.
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When we reach home, [br]we will open and separate it like this.
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Those red strings, once dried, [br]sell for up to $4,000 a kilogram,
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and a few of those[br]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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Kashmir's saffron [br]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[br]the Hindu nationalist movement
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that's pledged its undying support[br]to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
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who has long sought[br]more control over Kashmir,
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a majority Muslim area
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that's dealt with the Pakistani-backed[br]separatist movement for decades.
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In August 2019, [br]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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He imposed a lockdown
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and cut off phone [br]and internet services for months
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to prevent a mass uprising.
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The political lockdown has since[br]been replaced by a COVID-19 one,
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but Kashmiris still haven't gotten [br]their internet freedoms back,
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which has stunted the saffron trade [br]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[br]during our times of need.
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But since that rain disappeared,[br]we've been badly affected.
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Close to a third of Kashmir saffron fields [br]have disappeared since 1997,
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a crisis which prompted the government [br]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,[br]it is far from reality.
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After nine years, only about 15%[br]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 [br]meant to boost production,
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it has come up with a plan[br]to sell future harvests at a better price.
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Our saffron qualitatively[br]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 [br]before the authorities
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that we must get to the GI tag.
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GI stands for "Geographical Indication,"
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a status the World Trade Organization,[br]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[br]processing facility.
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The adulteration which[br]otherwise used to be done
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or repacking the saffron [br]from the other countries
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on the name of [br]the Kashmiri saffron will stop,
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and it will generate huge revenues[br]and a premium price for the farmers.
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Compared to Iranian saffron, [br]which makes up 90% of the world supply,
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the Kashmiri variant [br]has almost 30% more crosin,
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a compound that gives the spice [br]its rich redness,
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pain relieving properties,[br]and a taste so unique,
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that Kashmiri chefs won't stand [br]for using anything else.
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There is a certain elegance[br]in our Kashmiri saffron.
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There is saffron from Iran,
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but it only gives [food] color,[br]just like turmeric.
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But our saffron reflects Kashmiri culture.
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You can tell the two apart[br]from their taste.
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Bilal Ahmed oversees [br]the preparation of wazwan,
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a traditional feast made for weddings,[br]family gatherings, even funerals.
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Saffron is a key ingredient [br]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,[br]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[br]to make a paste out of it.
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A proper wazwan typically requires[br]two to three dozen chefs,
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one ton of meat,
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and about 50 grams or[br]$200 worth of saffron.
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But wazwan have been smaller than usual[br]for more than a year now,
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as the political and pandemic lockdowns[br]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[br][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[br]to three quintals [550 lbs.- 660 lbs.].
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It's made a lot of difference.
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Our business is being affected,[br]and it will change our culture.
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Life in Kashmir isn't just changing[br]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 [br]are now making different choices,
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looking for opportunities [br]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 [br]to keep his culture thriving.
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Our children aren't keen to do this work[br]because it's very laborious.
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They say, "We will do some other business,[br]but not all this."
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This will go on [br]because I can't find comfort
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in doing anything else.