Which town is known as the 'Saffron Town' of Kashmir?

Pampore, in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, is known as the "Saffron Town" (or "Saffron Bowl") of Kashmir.

About Pampore and saffron:

• It lies on the banks of the Jhelum river, about 15 km south-east of Srinagar.
• Its high plateaus, called "karewas", have well-drained soil and a cool climate, which are ideal for saffron cultivation.
• Saffron ("kesar" or "zafran") is obtained from the dried red stigmas of the flower of "Crocus sativus".

The flowers bloom in October-November, when the fields turn purple. They are picked by hand, and each flower has only three stigmas, which are separated and dried.

It takes about 150,000 flowers to produce one kilogram of saffron. This is why saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world.

Kashmiri saffron is famous for its deep colour, strong aroma and high crocin content.

Kashmir saffron received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2020.

Jammu and Kashmir is the main saffron-producing region of India. Kishtwar is another important saffron area.

Government support:

• The "National Mission on Saffron" (Saffron Mission) was launched in 2010 to revive saffron production through better irrigation, seeds and technology.
• The India International Kashmir Saffron Trading Centre (IIKSTC), a spice park at Pampore, helps farmers with testing, grading and marketing.

Uses of saffron:

• In cooking, such as biryani, kheer and kahwa (Kashmiri tea).
• In medicine (Ayurveda) and cosmetics.
• In religious rituals.

World saffron production:

Iran is the world's largest producer of saffron, accounting for most of global production.

Other Kashmir towns:

• Gulmarg: ski resort; "Meadow of Flowers".
• Pahalgam: "Valley of Shepherds"; base for the Amarnath Yatra.
• Sopore: called the "Apple Town" of Kashmir, with one of Asia's largest fruit markets.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Gulmarg is a famous ski resort.
• ✗Pahalgam is a base for the Amarnath Yatra.
• ✗Sopore is known as the "Apple Town".