Saffron luring Spanish workers back to the land | Reuters

Saffron luring Spanish workers back to the land | Reuters: "Saffron has always provided the subtle flavor to Spain's national rice dish paella and colored the central plains with a purple hue for centuries.
Now in the 21st century soaring prices have made harvesting the delicate stem of the saffron flower from which the spice is made a backstop for professionals, laborers and the unemployed in the La Mancha region hit by the global financial crisis.
'Hereabouts we say: Saffron is La Mancha's gold, and the poor man's piggy bank,' said Antonia Moreno, one of almost 4 million people now out of work in Spain and a champion hand at separating the prized stems from saffron flowers."