The world’s priciest spice

Delicate and richly red or orange

saffron threads are the dried stigmas from the purple fall-blooming Crocus sativus.

Their rarity and high cost

are due to the labor needed to gather the flowers and separate the filaments by hand for only a short period in the fall. To produce a pound of saffron requires a staggering 75,000 flowers, from which are cautiously extracted about 225,000 threads.

Most likely originating in Greece

millenniums ago, saffron currently is grown in Spain, Italy and Kashmir as well as Iran, which produces 80% to 90% of the world’s supply. Saffron is also one of Morocco’s biggest exports.

Known as “red gold”

by the Iranians, the exotic spice is considered a “natural antidepressant and helps fight Alzheimer’s and cancer,” says The Guardian. “It is usually ground and mixed with hot water before being added to rice used alongside a bowl of Persian stew, such as ghormeh sabzi, which is a mixture of sautéed herbs, kidney beans and lamb or beef.”

The Spice House in Milwaukee

carries Spanish “coupe” saffron (1-gram jar for just over $12). The taste of saffron is complex; descriptions run the gamut from slightly bitter to semi-sweet and honeyed. Aroma descriptions vary from muskiness and pungent to grassy and floral scents.