2025

Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium of Food & Cookery 2026: Food & Elements

Super saffron and Virtuous vanilla : Can terroir be synthesised?

In the last two decades, vertical farming has emerged as a radical paradigm in agriculture, offering the ability to grow high-value crops in precisely controlled environments. This paper explores how vertical farming (and hydroponics) intersects with the production of three culturally and economically important spices: saffron, vanilla, and green pepper. These spices possess complex flavor profiles shaped by specific environmental conditions, historically tied to place, culture, and labor.

Excerpt coming soon.