History of the most expensive spice attracts southern grower - most expensive dishes restaurant

This is the most expensive spice in the world, planted in the Mackenzie area of Island. Saffron -
The red stigma or thread of the saffron flower-
The price is very high.
But for the woman in the middle of Otago, Roberta Lala man, growing saffron in Twizel is a "love thing ".
"I didn't go in for money.
"When you read the history of saffron, something is very special," said Mrs. Laraman . ".
So in about five weeks of the year, she left her Cromwell's house and went to twisel to harvest the crops --
The most labor-intensive and hard work.
It was after a visit to Iran, where the countryside was similar to the barren hills around Alexandra, only to be much larger, and she was inspired to see the "acres and acres" of saffron growing, some corn was planted in the climate-ideal telweiser.
She got them from her daughter Amber MacMillan, who also grows saffron near Cromwell and has a vision to create olaki saffron.
While New Zealand's saffron has traditionally grown in Spain, Iran, India and Greece, it is twice as efficient as it was due to drying methods, she said.
Use a dehydrator instead of drying threads with a sieve on the open fire where volatile oil is evaporated.
Unlike most plants, all leaves grow in winter, dry
Starting in late spring, the soil needs to be warmer than 20C in order to open new flowers in corn.
Flowering and harvesting is at the beginning of April, or when the soil temperature drops below 17C.
It was so warm later this year.
With a dry stigma of 150 flowers to 1g, Laraman strives to accept 175 of Iran's exports-
220 tons of saffron were shipped to Spain.
New Zealand's top restaurants cost about $19 per gram
High-quality saffron, sweet or salty, can be used in many dishes;
Including sauces, spices and soups, fish, chicken, vegetables and baking, and saffron ice
The cream, Laraman said, was "absolutely delicious ".
She made saffron shortbread and also liked to add saffron shortbread to stewed apples and large yellow.
When it uses it, less is better than more.
When picking, the flowers smell like "honey", and the drying process produces mildew and honey.
Saffron has been admired for centuries.
The robes of Buddhist monks are dyed with saffron and have many medicinal values.
When nomadic people pick saffron around with tents during the harvest season in Iran, picking in twisel is a separate job.
She does not mind the fact that the intensity of labor is great.
"I'm retired. What else can I do?
Many people have saffron corn.
"Kind of like me, originally a romantic idea "-
But not all efforts have been successful.
The rabbit is a problem. some people find the hard work of weeding and harvesting.
Those who enter the saffron in order to make money need to have a "huge conspiracy ".
Unless the harvest is great, you can't rely on the harvest.
The scale of the harvest of workers is required, which costs.
Most of her saffron ends up in the Mediterranean market in Queenstown.