{"id":1477,"date":"2021-08-20T11:35:14","date_gmt":"2021-08-20T01:35:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/2dpoint.net\/?p=1477"},"modified":"2021-08-20T11:36:31","modified_gmt":"2021-08-20T01:36:31","slug":"why-is-saffron-so-expensive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/2dpoint.net\/why-is-saffron-so-expensive\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is saffron so expensive?"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> < 1<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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  1. Real saffron can cost over $10,000 per kilo, and there are various reasons why it is so.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Reason 1: It takes 150 flowers to make 1 gram of saffron.<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. Saffron is the red strands that grow at the center of the <\/span>Crocus Sativus <\/span><\/em>plant’s flower.<\/li>\n
  4. Each flower has just 3 of these strands, and it takes 150,000 flowers (450,000 strands) to produce 1 kg of saffron.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Reason 2: It takes 40 hours of manual labor to get 1 kg of saffron.<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  6. All flowers are handpicked, and no machine can be used to harvest the delicate threads.<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Reason 3: Saffron plants don\u2019t grow easily & the yield is very low.<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  8. One acre (about 43,000 square feet) of land yields around 1.8 kg of saffron.<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. For comparison, the same land space can yield over 1000 kg of coriander or 600 kg of cumin or 350 kg of nutmeg.<\/span><\/li>\n
  10. The plant is incapable of sexual reproduction, i.e., the plant doesn\u2019t grow through pollination (insects transferring pollen from the male part of the flower to the female part).<\/span><\/li>\n
  11. So, manual vegetative multiplication is necessary to produce offspring.<\/span><\/li>\n
  12. Reason 4: It is one of the most counterfeited or adulterated spices.<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  13. The popularised health benefits such as saffron being anti-cancerous, good for memory, etc., have led to demand far higher than the production.<\/span><\/li>\n
  14. Because of this, adulteration and production of fake saffron are widespread – corn silk, shredded coconut fibers, and horsehair are commonly used as fake saffron.<\/span><\/li>\n
  15. In 2010, Spain exported 190,000 kg of saffron worth $50 million, but the country\u2019s total production was only 1500 kg, so most of this export was fake.<\/span><\/li>\n
  16. In 2019, fake saffron worth $1 million was uncovered in the UK.<\/span><\/li>\n
  17. Faking & adulteration and high exclusivity help the spice deliver on the rarity principle (refers to a situation when a lot of people know about a brand\/product but very few can access it) perfectly, making it even more coveted.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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