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The Food Programme: Britain's Secret Saffron Story

Saffron in the UK

28/01/2018

Britain's Secret Saffron Story

BBC Radio 4 - The Food Programme, Britain's Secret Saffron Story

Yasmin Khan discovers the unexpected British story of her favourite spice, saffron.

Yasmin Khan knows saffron. Her favourite spice inspired a trip across her mother's native Iran to document a food culture. But she's never considered its British story, until now.

Saffron is one of the world's most evocative spices, shrouded in myth and mystery and conjuring up images from the ancient Silk Road. Often seen as 'expensive', 'complicated' or perhaps for a special occasion, for British food writer Yasmin Khan, the spice was a store cupboard stable. Because of her mother's Iranian heritage, as a child she ate it almost every day.

Later, Yasmin's love affair with saffron inspired her to travel across Iran, documenting the country's rich culinary heritage in her book 'The Saffron Tales'. On her journey she learnt that the saffron crocus was cultivated in Iran by the 10th century BC and today has multiple uses in perfuming a variety of Iranian dishes. But she also made another discovery, that saffron has a unique and mysterious British history, that brings this magical spice, much closer to home.

In this programme, writer Pat Willard, chef Charlie Hodson, botanist Dr Sally Francis and community grower Ally McKinlay help to unfold an almost forgotten British saffron story, one that captivates and entrances everyone that comes into contact with it. 

Presented by Yasmin Khan
Produced by Clare Salisbury.

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