Guzman Aparitio bought 15 hectares of land in Bustuchin commune.
“In the retail market, in Spain, for example, it sells for 8,000 euros per kilogram and in Europe it is around 14,000 per kilogram,” explained the Spanish investor for the television channel.
In the first year, Guzman – who has an identical business in Spain – harvested 200 grams of saffron from Gorj. The investor hired several local people and also established a cooperative in the commune, so that local people who want to cultivate saffron can associate with him.
Growing saffron requires a lot of patience. The saffron plant grows to a maximum height of 20 – 30 centimeters and produces up to 4 flowers, each with only 3 deep purple-red stamens. The stamens are then picked by hand and dried. One gram of spice powder requires hundreds of fine threads. And to get one kilogram of saffron, you need to harvest four hectares.
Originally from South-West Asia, saffron is one of the most expensive aromatic spices in the world. Yellow in color, saffron is considered a real delicacy, being used in Spanish, Italian or Indian cuisine. For example, the Spanish use it in paella, which gives it a specific reddish-yellow color, the Italians add it to rice, and the Indians to sweets.
