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The [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVElv_cAzVs where to buy saffron extract] will be the most high-priced spice in the world. Based on the Arabic phrase Zafaraan, the autumn flowering plant whose stigmas fetch a hefty price on the market has dominated the culinary arena for centuries. The saffron spruce comes from the stigma of the rose of saffron crocus (crocus sativus). The plant reaches the average height of 12 inches and flowers bloom in October.<br><br> The fragile pink blossom contains three red stigmas that is vigilantly gathered and dried, the labor-intensive means of growing and harvesting made the tart worth a king's ransom.Saffron was documented around 7th Century BC, and has been around for over 4,000 years. The significance of the spice was discovered in the centre East and afterwards sailed all over the world crossing cultures and boundaries. Its source was traced in the mountain variety of Zargos in Iran, where it was cultivated and found in the kitchen of the royals. If they colonized the country.Aside from being fully a flavor enhancer the Arabs added saffron in Spain, saffron was found to have medicinal properties, believed to have anti-carcinogenic compounds. It's been used in the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's infection, Diabetes, common problems such as coughing, colic, scabies and gastro-intestinal illnesses.<br><br> The royals applied saffron within their bathtub for stress relief and as an aphrodisiac. The vivid color of the stigma gives a lustrous yellow-orange coloring to meals and has been widely-used industrially as a fabric dye and in perfumery.Over the years many types of the saffron were cultivated in various countries. Spain's cultivars are mellower in color and odor, Italian kinds are more potent than Spain's, Kashmiri's 'Mongra' or 'Lacha' are very expensive due to its problem in developing this selection, consequently, very rare.To date, Iran continues to be the major producer of saffron with more than 90-year of the world's total production. A kilo of dried saffron requires about 170,000 plants. Meticulously hand-picked threads (stigma) are quickly dried and enclosed in airtight containers.<br><br> Top quality saffron is shown by its bright red color, moderate moistness and unbroken thread. Saffron's quality is graded by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and rates are dictated by the federal government of the countries producing them. Retail and wholesale prices in the usa range from US$500 to US$5,000 per pound or around US$1,000 to US$11,000 per kilo. In Canada per kg is about US$18,000. In Western countries, the typical retail is US$1,000 per pound, US$2,200 per kg. Certainly an amount equal if not more than that of gold.

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