Kashmir Saffron

Introduction to Kashmir Saffron

Kashmir Saffron is cultivated and harvested in the Karewas (highlands) of Jammu and Kashmir. It is famous all over the world as a spice, health rejuvenator and is also used for cosmetics as well as for medicinal purposes. Besides having high medicinal value, Kashmir Saffron has been associated with traditional Kashmiri cuisine and represents the rich cultural heritage of Kashmir. The Kashmir Saffron has gained its name over the ages due to its unique qualities such as high aroma, deep colour, long and thick threads (stigmas) which can be found only in the saffron grown and produced in Jammu and Kashmir. The Kashmir saffron is the only saffron grown at an altitude of 1600m to 1800m amsl (above the mean sea level) in the world, which adds to its uniqueness and differentiates it from other saffron varieties available in the market world over. Moreover, the traditional method of separating red and yellow portions of the stigmas by rubbing the stigmas between the thumbs of two hands is unique to the farmers of Jammu and Kashmir only, which naturally enhances the colour of the stigmas and keeps it purely natural as well as organic. Being the chemical-free and organic makes Kashmir saffron a preferred choice of consumers. 

History of Kashmir Saffron

In India, the saffron is historically grown in Kashmir and it is believed that saffron cultivation was introduced in Kashmir by Central Asian immigrants around 1 century BC as saffron was known as Bahukam in ancient Sanskrit literature (Amarakosa, 11.6.124). Bahalikam is a derivative of Bahalike, the Sanskritized version of Greek Bactria, presently called Balakh. It is a matter of historical fact that Kashmir was under the rule of Bactrian Greeks during 180 BC to 75 BC. However, Kashmir became so much famous for the saffron cultivation that alongside Bahalikam, saffron also became known after the name of Kashmir as Kashmirajam in the Ancient Indian Sanskrit literature Amarakosa. Unfortunately, the ancient historical texts of Kashmir have not survived to us.

The earliest reference about saffron in Kashmir can be found in one of the oldest historical texts available now is in the Nilamata Purana, Vol. 1, edited and Translated by Vaid Kumari, which belongs to 5th - 6th Century AD. The reference to saffron in Kashmir can also be found in Rajatarangini, written by a 12th century poet and historian Kalhana, in which he refers to Kashmir saffron as one of the special attributes of Kashmir, which indicates its presence in Kashmir even before the reign of King Lalitaditya in 750 AD. The author of the Rajatarangini, the famous Sanskrit history of Kashmir, who began to write in 1148 AD, alludes to the saffron in his introduction. Moreover, Sir Water Lawrence, in his book "The Valley of Kashmir" has written about saffron and has mentioned the word Saffron nearly 29 times in his book. He undertook a detailed study of the cultivation of saffron and its utilities. He writes that people from different parts of Kashmir used to throng Pampore for the cultivation of Saffron. He has also mentioned that the cultivation of saffron was a major source of revenue for the state and the seeds were also brought from Kishtwar (now a District in Jammu province/division of J&K). From this book, we can find the historical presence of saffron in two places in Jammu and Kashmir, i.e Pampore and Kishtwar. However, there are various other conflicting accounts about the origin of saffron in India, while some suggest that saffron among other spices reached India with Persian rulers and others present the other version of same story that after Persia conquered Kashmir, Persian saffron crocus corms were transplanted in Kashmir soil; and first harvest occurred sometimes prior to 500 BC .

Ancient Chinese Buddhist accounts from the Mula-Sarasvati Vaadin monastic order, present yet another account of saffron’s arrival to India. According to a legend, an arhat (Indian Buddhist Missionary) by the name of Madhyantika was sent to Kashmir in the 5th century BC where he reportedly sowed Kashmir’s first saffron crop. Mention of saffron can still be found in ancient Chinese-medical books and some historians believe that saffron first came to China with Mongol invaders by way of Persia whereas others are referring to saffron as having origin in Kashmir such as Wan Zhen, a Chinese medical expert reported that the habitat of saffron is in Kashmir, where people grew it principally to offer it to Buddha in the 3rd century. Kashmir Saffron has also been mentioned in Sanskrit Encyclopaedia of China. According to Chinese records, in 647 AD, the King of Kashmir had presented saffron as a gift to the Chinese Emperor. In 519 AD, the King of Cambodia had sent a consignment of saffron to China. According to Abul Fazl, the famous court historian of Akbar, there were twelve thousand bighas under Saffron cultivation at Pampore. Experiments to introduce saffron cultivation at other places were also made. Thus, according to Abul Fazl, Saffron fields extended about a Kos at Andarki. According to Jehangir (Tuzuki Jehangir), the yearly produce of Saffron was about 500 Hindustani maunds, and to quote him, “it is not known whether such a huge quantity is grown anywhere in the world.” 

As per the famous traditional Kashmiri legend, saffron first arrived in the 11th or 12th century AD, when two foreign and itinerant Sufi ascetics, Khwaja Masood Wali (R.A.) and Hazrat Sheikh Sharifud-din Wali (R.A.), wandered into Kashmir. According to the legend the foreigners, having fallen sick, beseeched a cure for illness from a local tribal chieftain. When the chieftain obliged, the two holy men reputedly gave him a saffron crocus bulb as payment and thanks. Indeed, to this day, grateful prayers are offered to the two saints during the saffron harvesting season in late autumn. The saints also have a golden-domed shrine and tomb dedicated to them in the saffron-trading village of Pampore. However, famous Kashmiri poet and scholar Mohammed Yusuf Teng disputes this story and states that saffron had been cultivated in Kashmir for more than two millennia. Indeed, such ancient indigenous cultivation is alluded to in Kashmiri Tantric Hindu epics of that time as well.

Types of Kashmir Saffron

The saffron available in Kashmir is of three types:

Lachha Saffron: This saffron consists of the stigmas just separated from the flowers and dried up without any further processing. In this type of saffron, the only difference is that the yellow colour tail of the stigmas is not cut, i.e., its length remains the same as taken out from the flower. The stigmas in Lachha saffron consist of a yellow tail and red front/top end of the stigmas. 

Mongra Saffron: This type of saffron is the stigmas of the saffron detached from the flower, dried in the sun and then further processed traditionally. The further processing of Lachha saffron by traditional method, unique to the people of Kashmir converts Lachha saffron into Mongra saffron. The traditional method, commonly known as Loût Czhttun meaning “Tail Cutting” is the unique process, by which the Kashmir farmers cut the yellow colored tail of Lachha saffron and separate the red color head/top portion of the stigma from the yellow-color tail. This process seems simple as the stigmas are rubbed between the thumbs whereby typically the yellow portion is separated from the red portion but it is not as simple as it seems, it can be done only by the farmers of Kashmir. The separated only red color stigmas constitute the Mongra saffron. Since the process of tail cutting is an additional step and is a painstaking process, the Mongra saffron becomes more costly. Moreover, the weight of the saffron gets decreased when the yellow portion is cut-out from the rest of the top portion of the stigma, leaving only red-colored stigmas. The Mongra saffron is considered one of the highest quality since it consists only of the red-colored stigmas. 

Guchhi Saffron: This type of saffron is same as Lachha Saffron, the only difference between the two is that in Lachha saffron dried stigmas are packed loose in the air tight containers, whereas in Guchhi saffron, the stigmas are joined together and tied with cloth thread making a bundle of the stigmas. In the local dialect, Guchha/Guchhi means ‘small bundle’. The other difference is that the Guchhi is cultivated in Poochal, Kishtwar and nearby areas. Most of the farmers of Poochal usually sell their saffron crop to the saffron traders in the form of small bundles in Pampore or Srinagar.

Harvesting and Composition 

In Jammu and Kashmir saffron flowers bloom in the second fortnight of October and continue till the first week of November but this is conditional to temperature and moisture availability. Flowers are harvested by family members earlier in the morning on a calendar basis, fixed for each area by the farmers. Flowers are picked from the base and are collected in polythene bags, wicker baskets, plastic baskets or cloth bags. Kashmir saffron is well known for its intrinsic high quality but traditional post harvest practices followed by the farmers result in post harvest losses to the tune of 30% in the product quality. Since the flowering is erratic due to lack of irrigation facilities and picking days are fixed therefore mostly young flowers with shorter pistil are also harvested that leads to decline in productivity. Study on Kashmiri saffron shows that parts of the fresh saffron flower contains 8% stigmas, 2% style, 80% sepals and petals and 2% residue. As the crocin is confined to stigmas only, the size and yield of stigmas are the main concentrations in the selections of particular stages of harvesting the flowers. Normally the average weight of fresh tripartite stigma varies from 26 to 37 mg, its length varies from 28 to 35 mm and its diameter from 3 to 4mm from flower bud to full bloom stage which is spread over 5 days. However, the combined length of stigma and style varies from 45 to 55 mm. Present post-harvest practices result in a recovery of 20-22g of saffron per kg of fresh saffron flowers. 

Uniqueness of Kashmir Saffron

The unique characteristics of the Kashmir Saffron are Longer and Thicker Stigmas, Natural Deep-Red Color of the stigmas, High Aroma, Bitter Flavor, Chemical-Free processing and High Quantity of Crocin (Coloring Strength), Safranal (Flavour) and Picrocrocin (Bitterness). The Kashmir Saffron also has the distinction of being the purely chemical-free, organic and safest as well as the preferred choice of the consumers. The quality of Kashmir saffron has been found best by the scientific researchers when tested on a fresh-weight basis. The quality of saffron is scientifically tested on the basis of its chemical composition and the amount of chemicals present in it. The major components of saffron are crocin, picrocrocin and safranal. Crocin is responsible for the color of saffron, whereas picrocrocin and safranal are responsible for its bitter taste and aroma. In other words Saffron’s quality depends on its three major metabolites providing the unique colour and flavour to the stigmas. However, these three natural chemicals/metabolites in Saffron are affected by the geographical factors such as Altitude/height of the place where Saffron is Grown, Soil, Moisture, Rainfall and such other climatic factors. It is important to point out herein that the Altitude has the impact on the content of Crocin, Picrocorcin and Saffranal in the Saffron, i.e. more the Altitude more the Content of Crocin and Picrocrocin but lesser the content of Saffranal.  

Traditional Know-how of Kashmir Farmers

The traditional method of separating Red and Yellow portions of the Stigmas by rubbing the stigmas between the thumbs of two hands is unique to the farmers of Jammu and Kashmir only, which naturally enhances the colour of the stigmas and keeps it purely natural as well as organic. The Kashmir Saffron also has the distinction of being the purely chemical-free, organic and safest as well as the preferred choice of the consumers.  

Medicinal Properties of Kashmir Saffron

Kashmir Saffron is famous all over the world as a Spice, Health Rejuvenator and is also used for cosmetics as well as for medicinal purposes. Besides having high medicinal value, Kashmir Saffron has been associated with traditional Kashmiri Cuisine and represents the rich cultural heritage of Kashmir. Saffron is a rich source of proteins, vitamins (riboflavin and thiamine), potassium, iron, copper, zinc, sodium and manganese thus imparting antioxidant properties to it. Saffron has been used in medicines, spice, golden coloring, perfumes and incense for various purposes since 3500 years ago in Egypt and Middle East. It was exported to China in the 13th century of the Yuan dynasty as health food; in the 16th century of the Min dynasty as a medicine; and to Japan in the beginning of the 17th century as a medicine. In 1886, the first Japanese Pharmacopoeia was announced and saffron was accepted as a medicine. Since then, the Japanese have used saffron as medicine. The stigmas of the plant are mainly used for its medicinal properties extensively in traditional medicine for various purposes, as an aphrodisiac, antispasmodic, expectorant, for treatment of stomach ailments, reducing stomach ache and for relieving tension. 

In Persian traditional medicine, it is used for depression. It is also used to treat insomnia and in the treatment of measles, dysentery, jaundice, cholera etc. It is generally used as a paste to treat acne. It is also used as analgesic, antidepressant, diuretic, immune stimulant, interfere on inducer and for inhibiting the thrombin formation. At low doses, it causes the stimulation of the pregnant uterus and in larger amounts it can cause constriction and spasm. The antidepressant activity of saffron has been found to be similar to the activity of standard drugs Imipramine and Fluoxetine. Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities were reported from stigmas and petals of saffron. Saffron is also used against blood diarrhea, fever, hepatitis, liver and spleen syrose, urine infection, diabetes, and dermal diseases. In English pharmaceutical codex saffron syrup, saffron glycerin and saffron tincture are discussed. Saffron is appetitive and facilitates digestion. Its essential oil is relaxant and could be useful in insomnia of nervous origin.

Source: Geographical Indications journal, 127, January 01, 2020, intellectual property office, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA