India

A team of "rat miners" successfully rescued the 41 men who had been stranded in a highway tunnel in the Indian Himalayas for 17 days. Rat-hole mining, once widely used for coal extraction, was banned in India in 2014. 

Nutmeg and mace are two separate spices found in the same fruit. Both have long been valued for their fragrance, flavor, and medicinal properties. India is the lead consumer of nutmeg as well as one of the top global suppliers.

Falling debris and broken machines are stalling the rescue of 40 workers trapped for almost a week in a highway tunnel that partially collapsed on November 12 in Uttarkashi, India.

From Assamese muga silk to jasmine oil used in luxury perfumes and from aromatic sandalwood to real saffron that costs over $10,000 per kilogram, we traveled the length of the subcontinent to uncover the stories behind some of the most expensive products made in India.