Kashmir saffron
Topic: Major Crops of India: Distribution and Conditions · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Kashmir saffron is a valuable spice made from the dried threads of the saffron flower. It grows on karewa soils. Karewas are flat-topped deposits left behind by old lakes in the Kashmir valley. The saffron got a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2020. A GI is a label for goods whose quality or fame comes from a particular place. FAO lists the saffron area as a GIAHS site, which is a world agricultural heritage site. Output has fallen sharply, so the National Saffron Mission (2010) was started to revive it.
Example
Pampore, in Pulwama district south of Srinagar, is the main saffron area of Kashmir. Its karewa terraces are covered with purple saffron flowers at harvest time.
Don't confuse with
- Karewa and alluvium: karewas are old lake-bed deposits on raised plateaus. Alluvium is fresh silt that rivers lay down on plains.