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Kashmir, nestled in the northernmost part of India, boasts a rich culinary heritage that reflects its cultural diversity and stunning natural landscapes. The region's cuisine is characterized by aromatic spices, rich flavors, and a harmonious blend of influences. Here are ten famous foods that are a must-try when visiting Kashmir: Rogan Josh: A signature dish of <keyword id="1326642" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kashmiri-Cuisine" source="Orion">Kashmiri cuisine</keyword>, Rogan Josh is a flavorful lamb or goat curry cooked in a rich gravy infused with aromatic spices like cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon. The vibrant red color comes from the use of dried Kashmiri chilies and saffron. Kashmiri Pulao: This fragrant rice dish is a delightful blend of basmati rice, saffron, nuts, and dried fruits like raisins and apricots. It's often served with a subtle touch of sweetness and pairs wonderfully with various Kashmiri curries. Yakhni: Yakhni is a yogurt-based curry made with either chicken or lamb, flavored with a delicate mix of spices like fennel, cloves, and cardamom. The mild yet aromatic taste makes it a comforting dish. Gushtaba: Considered a royal delicacy, Gushtaba is a velvety-textured dish made from finely ground mutton balls cooked in a flavorful yogurt-based gravy. It's often served during special occasions and gatherings. Kashmiri Saag: This hearty dish consists of greens like spinach or collard greens cooked with mustard oil, garlic, and spices. It's a nutritious and flavorful addition to a Kashmiri meal. Kahwa: A traditional Kashmiri green tea infused with saffron, cardamom, cinnamon, and almonds, Kahwa is a warming beverage served in small cups. It's known for its aromatic flavor and is often served after meals. Tabak Maaz: This is a crispy and tender dish made from fried ribs of lamb or goat. The meat is marinated in yogurt and spices before being fried to perfection, resulting in a flavorful delicacy. Shab Deg: A slow-cooked dish featuring a mix of meat, usually lamb or mutton, and a variety of spices. The slow cooking process ensures tender and flavorful meat that melts in your mouth. Modur Pulao: A sweet and aromatic rice dish cooked with a mix of spices like cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon, along with saffron-infused milk, and garnished with nuts and dried fruits. Sheer Chai: Also known as Noon Chai, it's a pink-colored, salted tea made with special tea leaves, milk, and baking soda. This unique tea is a staple in Kashmiri households and is served with various traditional breads. Exploring the culinary landscape of Kashmir offers a delightful journey through a rich tapestry of flavors, aromas, and cultural traditions. These ten famous dishes represent just a glimpse of the diverse and exquisite cuisine that Kashmir has to offer. From aromatic rice dishes to succulent meat curries and unique beverages, the food in Kashmir is a celebration of tradition, flavor, and warmth that captivates the senses and leaves a lasting impression on all who indulge in its delights. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/travel/india/webstories/10-best-tourist-places-to-visit-in-kashmir/slidelist/106097434.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">10 Best tourist places to visit in Kashmir</a>

10 Famous foods you must try in Kashmir

Why saffron, the world's most expensive spice, is at risk in Kashmir

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Real <keyword id="53648" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Saffron">saffron</keyword> can cost you over $10,000 per kilogram.</li><li>The miniscule harvest means the amount you get from each flower is roughly 0.006 grams.</li><li>A kilo of saffron could be made up of 450,000 strands. And to get that many strands, you need 150,000 flowers.</li></ul>Following is a transcript of the <keyword id="21654" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="video">video</keyword>:Narrator: Even in the expensive world of spices, saffron stands out. And real saffron can cost you over $10,000 per kilogram.Sought after for thousands of years as a <keyword id="6378177" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="spice">spice</keyword>, a dye, and a medicine, you need over 150 flowers to make just 1 gram of saffron. And the stuff you have at home in the cupboard could well be fake. So just what makes this spice so expensive?Saffron is the red stigma of the Crocus sativus. Each crocus has three small stigmas that have to be picked carefully by hand. This minuscule harvest means that the amount you get from each flower is roughly 0.006 grams.No machine can do the delicate work required to harvest these thin threads. And it can take 40 hours of hard manual labor to produce just 1 kilogram of high-quality saffron. Growing the plants isn't exactly easy either.David Smale: They're actually called corms, but they're like a bulb, basically. Like, you know, a flower bulb. So, the more flowers per bulb you can get, and the bigger the flowers, really, and that all depends on how you look after it, how you grow it, the climate.So, for example, if it rains just before harvest, we get bigger flowers. If it's very dry just before harvest, the flowers are smaller. So you look after the crop during the year by hand, and you pick the flowers by hand, and you process the flowers by hand.Narrator: Once the crop starts flowering, harvesters have to work fast to make sure they can pick it all in time. Almost all of the saffron planted can flower within one week of the year. And to maintain the quality, the flowers are best picked first thing in the morning.Quality is key when growing such a precise crop. And the taste of the saffron depends on the rainfall, temperature, and soil. Kashmir is famed for producing some of the highest-quality saffron in the world.And that small strand of saffron that you harvest as a result of all of this work? Well, to get the highest grades, you might need to throw half of it away. The most expensive, highest-grade saffron is generally made up of just the very tips of the stigma.In Iran, where over 90% of the world's saffron is produced, there are four grades. The lowest grade is the bunch. That's the entire strand that's pulled from the flower, from the dark red tips to the yellow base. In higher grades, the yellow strand is removed, leaving only a long strand of pure red.That means a kilo of saffron could be made up of 450,000 strands. And to get that many strands, you need 150,000 flowers. And those flowers take up a lot of growing space. Cumin, for example, can yield 600 kilos per acre. Nutmeg gets you around 350 kilograms in the same space. Use that land for saffron instead, and you get a 1.8 kilogram harvest.Despite the incredible amount of work and space this crop takes up, demand for the spice is increasing, and over 200 metric tons of saffron threads are harvested worldwide each year. That's the result of about 30 billion flowers.Demand for the threads is so high that many adulterate or produce fake saffron. Threads that look real at first glance could actually be made of corn silks, coconut fibers, or even horsehair. Synthetic colorings are also used to dye the lower-grade stigmas and sell them as high-grade saffron.In late 2019, a fake-saffron crime ring was uncovered in the UK, which led to a two-year international investigation. And back in 2010, Spain exported 190,000 kilos of saffron, worth $50 million, but the country's total production amounted to only 1,500 kilos. At the time, a local farmers union reported that up to 90% of Spanish saffron exports were fraudulent.The industry has attempted to crack down on these fake and mislabeled products, but the problem still persists, and the market for fake saffron is closing many real saffron farmers down. So, what does real saffron actually taste like?Smale: I've been asked that one by a lot of people over the years. [laughs] It's so difficult to describe, which is, I think, part of its fascination for people and why it ended up as an expensive product, because it is - it just adds something. It's a bittersweet flavor; it's an earthy flavor. Trying to replicate it is very difficult. And we've - you know, people have tried to do that, I know.Narrator: While saffron is just as popular as ever, it's been sought after throughout history. In Greek mythology, Zeus sometimes slept on a bed of saffron. And Cleopatra was said to bathe in saffron and milk, using the dyeing properties of the spice as an ancient fake tan.Every culture seems to have its own myth about the spice's powers, and in the 14th century, saffron's popularity skyrocketed across Europe when it was thought to be a possible cure for the plague.But there's a recent looming problem for saffron and its price: climate change. In Kashmir, production has dropped significantly, and many farmers are selling their land instead.Sajad Rafeeq: We had, you know, very few rains in the last, I think, four or five years. The temperature and the climate has completely changed in Kashmir.When I was a kid, when we used to go to the saffron farms to pick up the saffron, it would at least take us two days to pick up the saffron from the same fields which, you know, nowadays you could just pick up in half an hour. I'm very emotional about the saffron, because this is a cultural identity of Kashmir and especially the people of Pampore. But the thing is that the production is declining, and the lands are being sold. Houses are being built on the saffron land. So it really disheartens me.Narrator: Between 2017 and '18, saffron production in the region fell almost 70%, from 16.5 metric tons down to 5.2. And with continuing droughts and climate change, this harvest could become even more rare.

Real saffron can cost you over $10,000 per kilo. Here's what makes it so expensive

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Indian-controlled state of Jammu and Kashmir has been on lockdown since August - making it the longest lockdown to ever take place in a democratic state. </li><li>India has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kashmir-india-territory-downgrade-flag-constitution-internet-blackout-2019-10">imposed</a> curfews and internet blackouts across the region, stifling local business like the saffron and apple trades.</li><li>India's supreme court has since ruled the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-top-court-proclaims-kashmir-internet-blackout-unconstitutional-2020-1">indefinite internet blackout unlawful</a>, and ordered the government to review the restrictions.</li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/BusinessInsiderToday/470155010549573/">Business Insider Weekly</a> visited Kashmir to learn how a government lockdown is affecting local farmers and traders. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul>PAMPORE, Kashmir - Ashiq Rashid's family has been farming saffron for more than 80 years - since before their homeland, Kashmir, was a disputed territory between India and Pakistan."We've been farming saffron for generations - from my great-grandfather, grandfather, my father. Now it's me. I'm farming," Rashid told <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/BusinessInsiderToday/470155010549573/">Business Insider Weekly</a>.About 7% of the world's saffron is harvested in the Indian-controlled union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, making India one of the top exporters since it gained control of part of the region in 1947. But saffron farmers like Rashid have struggled ever since India's government has put Kashmir on lockdown, imposing an internet blackout and region-wide curfews as well as stepping up its military presence. It's been more than five months since the lockdown begain in August, making it the <a href="https://www.insider.com/kashmir-internet-shut-down-imposed-india-longest-ever-by-democracy-2019-12">longest ever imposed in a democratic state</a>."During conflicts, a farmer cannot go to work. He cannot tend to his land, so that affects productivity," Rashid said.This year, life in Indian-administered Kashmir became even more unbearable.On August 5, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/08/06/this-is-modi-governments-darkest-moment/">revoked Article 370</a> of India's constitution, ending decades of semi-autonomous rule for the Muslim-majority Kashmir.The Indian government sent in <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/28-000-more-troops-deployed-in-kashmir-valley-1576280-2019-08-02">38,000 extra troops</a> to smother any signs of dissent, critics say. Modi also imposed a curfew, blocked roads, and shut off most forms of communication, including the internet.India's supreme court ruled on Friday that the indefinite internet shutdown is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-top-court-proclaims-kashmir-internet-blackout-unconstitutional-2020-1">unlawful</a>, ordering the government to review the restrictions on the region. Additionally, the court ordered India's government to make public its orders on internet shutdowns, which the government deploys often. India has experienced <a href="https://internetshutdowns.in/">353 internet shutdowns</a> since 2016. The lockdown has enraged Kashmiris, and stifled businesses that rely on the internet."Many farmers, many product sellers in Kashmir used to sell their products on online websites like Amazon, Flipkart and other online websites," Sajad Rafeeq, a former saffron farmer, told Business Insider Weekly. "So when there's, you know, any kind of shutdown or when there's, you know, conflict and the communication is not good, so all of the industry gets affected."Recently, the Indian government has slowly begun restoring communications. Cellphone service returned in October, and on the first day of 2020, internet access was granted to government schools and hospitals, albeit with heavy restrictions. Most residents are still living without it. Experts are already noticing early consequences of the lockdown."The Kashmiris have always felt that they have a distinctive identity, especially the Muslims in the Valley and that had actually been written into the constitution," Sumit Ganguly, a political science professor at Indiana University, told Business Insider Weekly. "Now they feel that that special status, which had been eroded over time, has now been completely abrogated."<h2>Turmoil in the region dates back to more than 70 years ago.</h2>Turmoil in Kashmir started more than 70 years ago, when India and Pakistan <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/08/asia/india-pakistan-independence-timeline/index.html">gained their independence from the British</a> in 1947. The dispute over who controlled the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir gave rise to three wars and other armed conflicts over the region.To this day, India blames Pakistan for stirring the unrest by backing separatist militants - a charge its neighbor denies.At least 4,000 people have died in violent clashes in Kashmir over the past decade or so - including 1000 Indian security forces, <a href="http://jkccs.net/">according to a nonprofit</a> based in the city of Srinagar. Still, in the past five months, it's gotten even harder to sustain commerce at every level.In October, unidentified gunmen <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-kashmir-apples/suspected-militants-kill-two-in-indian-kashmir-set-apple-trucks-ablaze-idUSKBN1X328R">set fire to three apple trucks</a> in Indian Kashmir's Shopian district, killing two drivers and stoking more fear. Apple farming is the pillar of the region's economy, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-kashmir-apples/kashmir-apple-trade-picks-up-again-under-shadow-of-militant-attacks-idUSKBN1WX1LY">employing half of the population</a>, about 3.5 million people. In fact, 70% of India's apples came from Kashmir last year, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2019-10-28/india-kashmir-economy-crackdown">contributing $1.5 billion</a> to the Indian economy.But now, Kashmiri fruit traders like Maqbool Hussain say they're having trouble getting their produce to market."If nobody comes to buy apples from outside, then how will Kashmiri apples sell?" Hussain said. "We can't find anyone to work in the markets. Almonds are spoiling. Walnut sales have gone down by 60%."<h2>The fallout can be felt hundreds of miles away in neighboring Ladakh.</h2>The fallout from the conflict can also be felt hundreds of miles away from the violence, in the serene mountains of Ladakh, a neighboring region that's also administered by India. There, herders like Karma Takgol still <a href="https://www.utsavpedia.com/textiles/pashmina/">gather raw wool from Tibetan goats</a> the way they have since the 15th century."Old people say that the villages with the coldest weather have the best pashmina," Takgol told Business Insider Weekly.India officially split Ladakh from the rest of Jammu and Kashmir in October, creating a separate territory that is mostly Buddhist. The army maintains the only road connecting Ladakh to the rest of India.But no matter where the government draws its lines around Kashmir, what happens across the mountains can still be felt in the birthplace of the material that carries its name - cashmere - known locally as pashmina.As traditional industries have suffered because of the conflict, the Indian government has at times tried to support the local economy. A federal agency offered to buy up Kashmir's apple crop in October, but farmers said the rates were too low and many didn't take up the offer. The country's leaders also devised a plan a decade ago to help saffron growers combat drought, with a $57 million proposal to irrigate the land.But several farmers, including Gulam Rasool Bhat, told us the scheme has failed."The government promised proper irrigation. Funds were sanctioned and infrastructure built, but no actual assistance was provided," Bhat said. "They even charged us 5,000 rupees per acre for providing irrigation - still nothing was done."Now, Kashmiris say the Indian government's help cannot make up for the way that the heavy military presence, internet blackout, and curfews have upended the economy. Saffron farmers like Rashid said that "because of the conflict here, the curfew here, our ambitions remain unfulfilled.""Younger people feel angry that I want to increase the productivity of my land," he said. "We hope our desires will be fulfilled but the conflict and curfew here don't allow us to prosper."

Kashmir's 5-month internet blackout is the longest ever imposed in a democracy - and it's stifling local workers

<ul><li>The <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> government today issued a historical judgment to strike down <keyword id="405091" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Article-370">Article 370</keyword> and 35A from the Indian constitution. </li><li>Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has claimed victory over the decade long struggle to strike down Article 370 and 35A. </li><li>This was essential for the interest of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as the entire country, said RSS. </li></ul>Indian right-wing party Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) <a href="https://twitter.com/RSSorg/status/1158291411692732416">claimed victory </a>after the government decided to strike down Article 370 and 35A which gives Jammu and Kashmir the right to make its own laws. The saffron party felt vindicated as it has been <a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/article-370-abrogation-old-demand-sees-light-of-day/cid/1695883">campaigning for </a>this move, for decades. They also termed that the Narendra Modi-led government was courageous for making this move. <div type="twitter" handle="RSSorg" handlename="RSS" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/502392645314830337/wQV1awav_normal.jpeg" favoritecount="20591" retweetcount="5315" status="“सरकार के साहसपूर्ण कदम का हम हार्दिक अभिनंदन करते हैं। यह जम्मू-कश्मीर सहित पूरे देश के हित के लिए अत्यधिक आवश्यक… https://t.co/wj7lXSM2Hs" createdat="1564993167000" id="1158291411692732416"></div>

 The orders further divided the state into two union territories — J&amp;K and Ladakh. “This was essential for the interest of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as the entire country. Rising from selfish motives and political differences, everyone should welcome and support this move,” said RSS. Removing Article 370 has been of the core demands of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and RSS ever since Modi came into power in 2014. Reactions flooded the microblogging site Twitter soon after Union Home Minister <keyword id="6355521" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="amit-shah">Amit Shah</keyword> proposed to strike down Article 370 and 35A. Many of them were hailing #OneCountryOneSystem. However, Kashmir's political leaders <a href="https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/india-news-jammu-kashmir-ladakh-will-governments-ambitious-plans-to-regain-paradise-lost-be-a-misadventure/301994">have been seething </a>their anger. Former Chief Ministers <keyword id="19464" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Omar-Abdullah">Omar Abdullah</keyword> and <keyword id="6375812" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="mehbooba-mufti">Mehbooba Mufti</keyword>, who were under house arrest, expressed their shock and felt betrayed after the orders were issued. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/news/omar-abdullah-mehbooba-mufti-reaction-to-the-scrapping-of-article-370-in-jammu-kashmir/articleshow/70532924.cms">‘Betrayal, catastrophe, dangerous’ J&amp;K leaders livid as India scraps Article 370 and bifurcates the state</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/amit-shah-says-article-35a-and-article-370-giving-kashmir-special-status-will-be-annulled-in-rajya-sabha/articleshow/70530969.cms">Article 370 and Article 35A which give Kashmir a special status will be annulled, Amit Shah tells Indian Parliament</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/news/journalists-in-kashmir-get-satellite-phones-after-internet-and-mobile-are-shut-down/articleshow/70530054.cms">Reporters in Kashmir get a satellite phone for ₹100,000 a piece as all other communication devices are shut down</a>

RSS claims a victory in its decades' long campaign against Kashmir's special status

<ul><li style="list-style-type: none;"><ul class="summary-list"><li>Overfishing and a decline in habitat have contributed to Japanese Eels slowly disappearing.</li><li>Increased rainfall and humidity have greatly affected the price of cashews.</li></ul> </li></ul>Purple flowers in Kashmir produce the world's most expensive spice — saffron. While it can sell for $10,000 per kilogram, climate change is making it even more expensive. Because of lower-than-usual rainfall over the last few years, production has dropped significantly. And fields that once yielded this delicate spice have become sites for new housing construction. Climate change is threatening the production of all kinds of foods from cloves in India to eels in Japan and Spain. Here are 10 expensive, and vulnerable, foods and why climate change is making them so much more expensive.For more, visit <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/one-planet?r=US&amp;IR=T">One Planet</a>.

Why 10 Pricey Foods Are Even More Expensive Because of Climate Change

If you want to know India better, you ought to taste the variety of foods the country offers. This belief is being taken too seriously by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and it shows. The dinner table at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, meant to discuss business with global companies worth $4 trillion on it, would also become a feasting ground. 
 
As the four-time Michelin-starred Chef Vikas Khanna prepares to cook an all organic 6-7 course meal this evening, the feast would cover most parts of India with unique and special offerings. 
 
The new age and fine dining avatar of Indian cuisine would cover 30-plus festival foods in India. As they say, from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari and Meghalaya to Gujarat, the menu of Modi’s dinner would include Sandalwood Saffron Sherbet, Pomegranate Sangria With Tandoori Pineapple, Paneer Ravioli, Thandai Chicken, Mizoram Black Rice Khichdi, Saffron Sheermal, Mango-Ginger Soup and Coconut Rice Creme Brulee. 
 
The chef has admitted that the magic he would create today is only because of his grandmother in Amritsar who taught him how to cook. 
 
While Khanna remained unavailable for comment, his representative Deepika Bansal said that he was "proud and humble to get the opportunity". 
 
This gastronomic sojourn is set to break the glass ceiling of investments, because ‘Modi means business.’ With CEOs of Ford, Lockheed Martin, Citigroup, Dupont, Goldman Sachs, BlackStone, Boeing, Cargill, Starwood, Paypal and IBM feasting on the Indian food, Modi would surely get some positive nods from them, thanks to Indian food. 
 
(Image: Event Combo)

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