Why saffron costs what it does
About 1,50,000 flowers for one kilo, picked by hand at dawn: the arithmetic behind a ₹1,190 tin.
A morning in Srinagar’s old markets
Where to buy dry fruit, spices and kahwa leaf in old Srinagar, and how to tell good stock from tourist stock.
If you are visiting Srinagar, an early morning in the old markets is worth more than an afternoon on the boulevard. Here is the route our family takes when out-of-town relatives want to buy dry fruit to carry home.
Start before 9 am at the floating vegetable market on Dal Lake, near Dal Gate. Farmers bring lotus stem, greens and gourds by shikara, and the trade is done in under two hours. It is a short ride from most houseboats and gives a sense of how the city still eats.
From there, go into the old city towards Maharaj Gunj and the lanes off it. These are wholesale markets for dry fruit, spices and household goods, with sacks of almonds, walnuts and dried apricots and a lot of bargaining. Prices are lower than on the main roads, but quality varies a great deal. Ask to crack a walnut and taste an almond before you buy, and avoid saffron sold loose in paper packets with no name.
Finish at Lal Chowk, where our shop sits on Residency Road. Come between 10 am and 1 pm, when Bilal can show you the lab reading for each saffron batch and let you taste walnuts from this year’s crop. If you are flying home, we pack in sealed tins and pouches that go into checked luggage without trouble, or we courier your order and you travel light. Most visitors find the second option easier.
