Peapix

  • Bing Gallery
  • Extension
Peapix
Bing Gallery
Extension
  • United States
    All
    Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil

Bing Gallery

Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil
  1. Bing Gallery
  2. United States
  3. 2019
  4. November 06
  5. Saffron crocus flowers in Spain
arrow_back_ios arrow_forward_ios Saffron crocus flowers in Spain

November 06, 2019

Saffron crocus flowers in Spain

© Juan-Carlos Munoz/Minden Picture

Saffron in bloom. Saffron in bloom

It's harvest time for saffron, the precious seasoning that's mostly grown in Iran, but used in cuisines around the world. Saffron is derived from the saffron crocus, an autumn-flowering plant with purple petals as richly hued as the vivid crimson stigmas (called 'threads') in the center of the bloom. These threads are carefully extracted by hand with tweezers and dried before they're used for cooking. Each flower comes with just three threads, and it takes a lot of them—roughly 75,000 crocuses will yield just one pound of saffron. The entire harvest can last only about a week or two, because that's the short life of the saffron crocus bloom.

This time of year, the small Spanish town of Consuegra celebrates the end of the harvest season with a saffron-themed festival. This is home to some of Spain's best-preserved windmills, which traditionally milled the wheat grown in the region. During Consuegra's Festival de la Rosa del Azafrán (Festival of the Rose of Saffron), locals dress in traditional clothing and ceremonially grind some wheat in one of the old windmills. But feasting on regional cuisine is the highlight of the festival, and saffron is at the center of activities, complete with a saffron extracting competition. The contest honors the difficulty of picking the threads from the flower.

flower plant flora cloth bloom lavender colorful colored

Related Images

Plumeria flowers, HawaiiPlumeria flowers, Hawaii
Formal garden at Château de Villandry, Loire Valley, FranceFormal garden at Château de Villandry, Loire Valley, France
Grove of redwoods in Redwood National and State Parks, CaliforniaGrove of redwoods in Redwood National and State Parks, California
Zion National Park, UtahZion National Park, Utah
Kachina Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument, UtahKachina Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah
The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DCThe National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC
Tree frog, Costa RicaTree frog, Costa Rica
Superbloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, CaliforniaSuperbloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California

Today on Bing

Shi Shi Beach in Olympic National Park, Washington

Shi Shi Beach in Olympic National Park, Washington

Nov 06, 2024
Lake Pehoé, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

Lake Pehoé, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

Nov 06, 2023
Runners in the 1990 New York City Marathon crossing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge

Runners in the 1990 New York City Marathon crossing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge

Nov 06, 2022
Female numbat in Brookton, Western Australia

Female numbat in Brookton, Western Australia

Nov 06, 2021
West Indian manatees in Three Sisters Springs, Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Florida

West Indian manatees in Three Sisters Springs, Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Florida

Nov 06, 2020

Related Tags

plant outdoor grass tree nature landscape flower mountain sky valley canyon cloud rock hill escarpment hillside badlands overlooking distance animal
Share photo
Share
Pin
Tweet
Line
  • © 2025 Peapix.com
  • API
  • App
  • Privacy
The images are provided for wallpaper use only.