Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct about the 'Kashmiri saffron'?
- It is unique in character in terms of shorter and thinner stigmas, natural deep-red colour, high aroma, bitter flavour and high quantity of colouring strength.
- It is the only saffron in the world grown at an altitude of 1,600 m to 1,800 m above mean sea level.
- The saffron cultivation was introduced in Kashmir by Central Asian immigrants around 1st century BCE.
- It has been recently accorded a GI tag.
Select the correct codes from below:
Explanation – Kashmir saffron, which is cultivated and harvested in the Karewa (highlands) of Jammu and Kashmir, has been given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry.
- The unique characteristics of Kashmir saffron are its longer and thicker stigmas, natural deep-red colour, high aroma, bitter flavour, chemical-free processing, and high quantity of crocin (colouring strength), safranal (flavour) and picrocrocin (bitterness).
- It is the only saffron in the world grown at an altitude of 1,600 m to 1,800 m AMSL (above mean sea level), which adds to its uniqueness and differentiates it from other saffron varieties available the world over.
Types of Kashmir Saffron:
- Lachha Saffron — Stigmas just separated from the flowers and dried without further processing.
- Mongra Saffron — Stigmas are detached from the flower, dried in the sun and processed traditionally.
- Guchhi Saffron — Same as Lachha, except that Lachha's dried stigmas are packed loosely in air-tight containers while Guchhi has stigmas joined together in a bundle tied with a cloth thread.
- Saffron cultivation is believed to have been introduced in Kashmir by Central Asian immigrants around 1st Century BCE.
In ancient Sanskrit literature, saffron is referred to as 'bahukam'
Explanation – Kashmir saffron, which is cultivated and harvested in the Karewa (highlands) of Jammu and Kashmir, has been given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry.
- The unique characteristics of Kashmir saffron are its longer and thicker stigmas, natural deep-red colour, high aroma, bitter flavour, chemical-free processing, and high quantity of crocin (colouring strength), safranal (flavour) and picrocrocin (bitterness).
- It is the only saffron in the world grown at an altitude of 1,600 m to 1,800 m AMSL (above mean sea level), which adds to its uniqueness and differentiates it from other saffron varieties available the world over.
Types of Kashmir Saffron:
- Lachha Saffron — Stigmas just separated from the flowers and dried without further processing.
- Mongra Saffron — Stigmas are detached from the flower, dried in the sun and processed traditionally.
- Guchhi Saffron — Same as Lachha, except that Lachha's dried stigmas are packed loosely in air-tight containers while Guchhi has stigmas joined together in a bundle tied with a cloth thread.
- Saffron cultivation is believed to have been introduced in Kashmir by Central Asian immigrants around 1st Century BCE.
In ancient Sanskrit literature, saffron is referred to as 'bahukam'
