Saffron, the ‘red gold’ from the mountains of Valais
Saffron central: The village of Mund in canton Valais lies at 1,200 metres above sea level and has 680 residents.
Gregor Lengler/laif
Saffron growing area in Mund
Gregor Lengler/laif
The Safranerie distillery produces “Munder Gold” saffron schnapps.
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There are 120 families who grow the pale purple Crocus sativus flowers for their saffron. But they can’t make a living doing it, as the plants yield only about three kilos of saffron per year.
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Quality control during the harvest
Gregor Lengler/laif
A gram of this saffron costs CHF28.
Katja Hoffmann/laif
A gram of saffron requires 120 blossoms, which yield 360 stigma filaments.
Gregor Lengler/laif
The Saffron from Mund in canton Valais is the most expensive and potent in the world.
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The saffron trail starts in the village centre and passes through saffron plantations with impressive views of the Rhone valley.
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Central Europe’s only saffron museum is in an old granary dating back to 1437. It is one of the oldest buildings in Switzerland.
Gregor Lengler/laif
Even just a tiny amount of saffron will give risotto an intense golden-yellow colour.
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For just three weeks in October, Crocus sativus is in bloom near the Matterhorn. The plant, whose flowers produce the spice saffron, brings connoisseurs from all over the world to the village of Mund in canton Valais.
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Gaby Ochsenbein worked at Swiss Radio International and later at SWI swissinfo.ch from 1986 to 2018. She lives in Bern.
Its closest cousin is the spring crocus, which appears all over the country. In the shops, Swiss saffron costs CHF28 ($29) per gram, making it the most expensive saffron in the world. Picking the pale purple flowers is prohibited and there is a CHF500 fine for those who do so.
People have appreciated saffron since ancient times. Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius supposedly only bathed in saffron-scented water. Saffron was originally cultivated in the Orient, and in the eighth century, the Arabs introduced it to the Spaniards. The spice later reached Switzerland via France. The sensitive plant thrives in dry and rather poor soil with a fine, sandy texture and a hint of clay.
Each blossom has three red stigmas which are carefully removed from the petals and set out to dry. It takes about 120 flowers to get just a gram of saffron. Swiss cooks often use saffron to spice up a batch of creamy risotto.
(Images: Katja Hoffmann, Gregor Lengler/laif; Text: Gaby Ochsenbein, swissinfo.ch)
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