Iran Harvests $800 Spice Video -- National Geographic

Iran Harvests $800 Spice Video December 10, 2007—At nearly $800 per kilo, saffron is the world's most expensive spice. More than 150 purple flowers go into each gram of the deep-red saffron strands.Welcome to the National Geographic video player. Watch hundreds of free videos from National Geographic, featuring animal videos, news videos, weather videos, nature videos, kids videos, world music videos and other most popular video content including shark videos.Video Sections

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- D-Day Plane Returns to France - November 21, 2007—A World War II transport airplane found in Bosnia is going home in carefully disassembled pieces.
- "Death Star" Galaxy a Bully? - December 18, 2007—A supermassive black hole at the center of a distant galaxy is blasting another galaxy with a violent energy jet. NASA images capture the display.
- "Lawn Mower" Dinosaur Debuts - November 15, 2007—Lawn mower to the ferns of Africa, the 500-toothed Nigersaurus was unlike any other. A reconstruction goes on display today at National Geographic in Washington.
- 1st Antarctic Airliner Landing - December 13, 2007—An Australian passenger jet touched down on an ice runway in Antarctica this week. Flights for scientific teams are to begin next week.
- Aboard Sinking Antarctic Ship - November 26, 2007—Passengers of a now-sunken Antarctica cruise ship tell of their experience as they head home. All 154 aboard survived the accident.
- Amazon Dolphins - November 28, 2007—South American river dolphins are doing pretty well compared to some river dolphins in Asia. But boat traffic, fishing, and logging are still a threat.
- Ancient Cat in Today's Egypt - December 6, 2007—Egyptian Maus may descend from the first domesticated cats in the world. One woman is working to help save them.
- Ancient Treasure Found - December 6, 2007—A trove of pre-Incan artifacts—including four-thousand-year-old gold pieces—have been returned to the Peruvian embassy in Spain.
- Anne Frank Tree Gets Reprieve - November 20, 2007—A tree admired by Anne Frank was saved Tuesday by a Dutch judge who disagreed with Amsterdam officials about its safety.
- Antarctic Rescue Described - November 26, 2007—The National Geographic "Endeavor" was the first on the scene as the cruise ship "Explorer" sank. National Geographic grantee Jon Bowermaster tells what he saw.
- Antarctica Images Best Yet - November 28, 2007—A nearly cloudless satellite image is the most geographically accurate and true-color map of the southern continent—at ten times the resolution of previous NASA views.
- Astronauts Install New Tower - October 30, 2007—Astronauts install a solar power tower on the International Space Station and consider extending their mission.
- Biggest Trout Fished in Asia - November 13, 2007—Fishing the world's largest trout, Mongolia's taimen, is encouraged—to help save it.
- Boy Plays With Giant Python - November 28, 2007—A seven-year-old Cambodian boy and his python pal like to eat duck and chicken. Only the 15-plus-foot python eats 22 pounds of it weekly.
- Cat Gets Acupuncture - December 3, 2007—A veterinary clinic in Hong Kong gives pet cats acupuncture—using the traditional treatment in conjunction with standard western medical approaches, of course.
- Chimps Outscore Humans - December 4, 2007—Young chimps beat humans and even college students in a series of cognitive tests to measure short-term memory, Japanese scientists are reporting.
- China, Brazil Share Satellite - November 30, 2007—Satellites and ocean buoys help scientists understand changing weather, bringing some countries—like Brazil and China—together. Specialists were gearing up for major climate talks in Indonesia.
- Clay Eating Discouraged - November 8, 2007—Poverty and tradition drive some Haitians to eat cakes of clay, salt, and butter. Nutritionists fight local beliefs about the dish's merits.
- Climate Talks Intensify - December 14, 2007—US, European and other envoys worked long into the night at the UN climate conference, attempting to define goals for cuttting greenhouse gases.
- Colombian Mummies Baffling - December 6, 2007—Mysterious modern mummies draw tourists to a small Colombian village. Although scientists don't know how the corpses were preserved, some locals credit a spiny, berry-like fruit.
- Could New Russian Line Leak? - November 20, 2007—The world's largest oil and gas project could be damaged by erosion and seismic activity, say environmentalists concerned about the Russian island that hosts the soon-to-be-completed pipelines and plant.
- Dental Robot "Feels" Pain - November 29, 2007—A new robot yelps when dental students drill too close to sensors that have been fitted where nerve endings would be.
- Dinosaur Mummy Found - December 3, 2007—A dinosaur mummy found in North Dakota reveals astonishing new information about the size of the reptiles, their skin, and how quickly they moved.
- Ebola Outbreak in Uganda - December 7, 2007—A new Ebola strain has killed health care workers in Uganda. There's no cure for the disease, and this subtype doesn't always show the classic symptoms.
- Electric Boost for Reefs - December 5, 2007—Electrical charges cause a chemical reaction that spurs growth in ailing coral.
- Explosions May Save Wetlands - October 31, 2007—The Nature Conservancy has blasted through 1950s-era levees in the Williams River Delta in southern Oregon to save the wetlands and endangered fish species.
- Fearless Mice Created in Japan - December 13, 2007—Researchers in Japan have genetically modified mice to make them unafraid of cats.
- Giant Fish Faces Big Trouble in China - September 11, 2007—Join biologist Zeb Hogan of the National Geographic Society's Megafishes Project as he explores the threats facing the giant Chinese sturgeon and the efforts underway to save it.
- Glow-in-the-Dark Cats Cloned - December 14, 2007—Scientists in South Korea have cloned cats that glow red when exposed to ultraviolet rays. The cats might someday help cure genetic diseases.
- Gorillas Find Refuge in Uganda - October 22, 2007— A Ugandan national park is a sanctuary for some 325 mountain gorillas, about half of the critically endangered species' population.
- Helicopter Saves Flood Victims - December 14, 2007—Rescue helicopters in the Dominican Republic save flood victims standed on rooftops, as tropical storm Olga leaves at least 25 dead in its wake.
- Human Waste Powers Streetlights - December 10, 2007—A bio-gas plant in an Indian town generates 3,000 watts of electricity a day—from human waste.
- Indonesian Orangutans Helped - December 11, 2007—Indonesia launched a ten-year program this week to protect orangutans' jungle habitat from logging, mining, and palm oil plantations.
- Iran Harvests $800 Spice - December 10, 2007—At nearly $800 per kilo, saffron is the world's most expensive spice. More than 150 purple flowers go into each gram of the deep-red saffron strands.
- Iranian Town Carved From Rock - December 5, 2007—Carved into Iranian mountains, the village of Kandovan may be older than 700 years old. The energy-efficient homes draw tourists from around the world.
- Italy Town Claims Sovereignty - November 29, 2007—Seborga considers itself independent of Italy, with its own currency, stamps, and prince. Some also claim it holds a biblical, Da Vinci Code-type secret.
- Japanese Hunt Humpback Whales - November 19, 2007—Research permits allow Japan to hunt protected humpback whales—the first known large-scale chase since a 1963 moratorium. Critics say it's commercial whaling disguised as research.
- Jesus' Language Still Spoken - December 17, 2007—Villagers in a small, isolated town in Syria still use the same language Jesus spoke—Aramaic.
- King Tut's Mummy Goes Public - November 4, 2007—On Sunday, archaeologists moved the mummy of the famous Egypt pharaoh into a climate-controlled glass case, revealing his face publicly for the first time.
- Malibu Fire Destroys Homes - November 26, 2007—A fast-moving wildfire destroyed 49 California houses over the weekend, mysteriously sparing others. Weakening Santa Ana winds finally allowed firefighters to start containing the blaze.
- Medieval Christmas Market Open - December 7, 2007—A historic Christmas market boasts more than 600 years in operation in Frankfurt, Germany, and still draws shoppers and tourists.
- Millions Perform Hajj in Mecca - December 17, 2007—Millions of Muslims gather in Mecca for the hajj, the annual, Islamic pilgrimage.
- Module Added to Space Station - October 29, 2007—Astronauts break in the new addition to the International Space Station, conduct a second space walk, and plan for a third.
- Monkey Banquet Well Attended - November 27, 2007—Monkeys are the tourist draw in Lop Buri, Thailand. So once a year, the town cooks up a fancy feast to thank the smaller primates for all their "monkey business."
- NASA Asteroid Mission Launch - September 27, 2007—NASA's DAWN spacecraft took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, this morning, kicking off its eight-year mission to study a pair of asteroids beyond Mars.
- Ocean-Saving Coral Reef - November 30, 2007—There aren't enough biologists to keep tabs on the Dominican Republic's threatened coastal reefs, so volunteer divers are pitching in.
- Oil Destroys Korean Fisheries - December 12, 2007—Fishers in South Korea say their livelihoods have been devastated because of the 66,000-barrel oil spill off the Korean coast.
- Panama Golden Frog Threatened - October 15, 2007—Panama's golden frog is a symbol of good luck and prosperity. Now researchers are fighting to save the rare amphibian from a naturally occuring—and deadly—fungus.
- Rare Big-Eared Rodent Filmed - December 11, 2007—The first footage of the endangered Mongolian long-ear jerboa in its natural habitat—the Gobi Desert—could help save the endangered mouse relative by bringing attention to it.
- Rare Chinese Tiger Born - December 4, 2007—The first known birth outside China of an extremely endangered South China tiger—there may be no more than 30 in the wild—draws both celebration and concern.
- Rare Cranes Taught to Migrate - November 5, 2007—Endangered whooping cranes bred in captivity must be taught to fly south. Once the birds learn the route from Wisconsin to Florida, they remember it.
- Rare Tiger Gives Birth - December 3, 2007—This Siberian tiger—an endangered species not known for breeding in captivity—has given birth to two cubs in a Russian zoo.
- Shuttle Astronauts Space Walk - October 26, 2007—Discovery shuttle astronauts begin the difficult job of attaching an Italian-made module to the International Space Station. The project is expected to take ten days.
- Shuttle Discovery Launches - October 23, 2007—The space shuttle Discovery launched Tuesday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a mission to expand the International Space Station.
- Smuggled Gorillas Return Home - November 30, 2007—Four rare gorillas smuggled out of West Africa five years ago and sold to a zoo in Malaysia were returning to Cameroon Friday.
- Spain Restoring The Alhambra - December 12, 2007—Spain is embarking on an ambitious project to restore the Alhambra palace complex, a gem of Islamic and Renaissance architecture.
- Talking Parrot Alex Dies - September 13, 2007—Alex, the "genius" talking parrot, died this month at age 31. See a 1999 television segment that shows Alex at work with Irene Pepperberg, a psychologist who worked with him for years.
- Thousands Dead in Bangladesh - November 19, 2007—Bangladeshis scrambled to deliver aid after last week's cyclone and bury more than 3,000 dead. "Our condition now is worse than dead," said one survivor.
- Three Gorges Dam Rumbling - November 27, 2007—Tremors around the world's biggest dam are causing landslides and cracks that threaten nearby residents who want compensation from the Chinese government.
- Trump Golf Course Draws Fire - November 21, 2007—Donald Trump's planned Scottish-coast golf resort is drawing protest from conservationists who fear it would disrupt the habitats of threatened bird species.
- Trump Loses U.K. Golf Course - December 4, 2007—Local officials rejected Donald Trump's plan to build a Scottish-coast golf course and resort. Construction would have affected some of the country's rarest birds.
- Yale Agrees to Return Machu Picchu Artifacts - September 20, 2007—Yale University has agreed to return thousands of Machu Picchu relics to the government of Peru in what many officials are hailing as a landmark deal.
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