Our Journey
Greece's 'red gold'
Resting in the foothills of Greece's legendary Mount Olympus - where the 12 gods of ancient Greek mythology are believed to have lived - is the small town of Krokos.
The town's name translates as "saffron" in Greek as it is the only part of the country that produces the red spice.
There is a new market that has local producers excited - China. In November last year, Greece's saffron producers had been hoping to reach the lucrative Chinese consumer market.
Then the two countries were finalizing a deal to allow Greek saffron to be exported to the Asian nation, with an aim to reach Chinese shelves by the end of the 2020.
11 MONTHS LATER
The deal with China was a game-changer for the producers of Krokas, unfortunately so was the COVID-19 outbreak.
With global travel and trade severely disrupted by the pandemic, the first shipment of the saffron only reached China in June 2020.
The delay has lead to mounting losses for Krokas's saffron producers. Despite the disruption brought on by the pandemic, there remains optimism in the Greek town that saffron exports will recover.
Challenges such as quarantines and travel restrictions remain but the locals here are hoping this centuries-old spice trade will be able to thrive and find its way across the globe once again.
