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Saffron
Saffron has the distinction of being oldest and the most expensive spice in the world - fortunately, you only need a
few threads to bring the healthy flavor and distinctive yellow color to dishes. Saffron is believed to have been
harvested as early as 1700 BC! Made from the dried stigma of a plant in the crocus family, true saffron costs so
much because of the intensive labor required to harvest it. It takes about one acre of land and over 75,000 flowers
to harvest one pound of saffron - and what's worse, the flowers must be picked during a one-week window where
the flowers bloom. Saffron threads range in color from a deep yellow to a bright rust-red, with the redder the
threads, the more intense the flavor. Saffron is imported from Spain and costs over $1,100 a pound if you really
felt the need to buy that much. One gram of saffron is much more economical, costing about $7-15, and has
several hundred threads in a package. Try to avoid supermarket saffron if you can because it is usually marked up
several times over. For example, I saw a jar of saffron selling for $15 that only had about 20 or 30 threads in the
little vial inside the jar. Saffron is perfect for chicken soups, rice dishes, and even saffron breads.
Recipes with Saffron:
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