Rumi Saffron · Afghanistan

Saffron is becoming an important crop in Afghanistan to replace the opium poppy. Here Afghans harvest and prepare the spice for export. Afghan saffron is supposedly the best in the world. Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and coloring agent in food. Saffron has long been the world's most costly spice by weight.