Saffron

It takes seventy thousand Crocus sativus flowers to produce one pound of saffron. Each one of those flowers has to have its stigmas carefully removed, so it isn’t a surprise that saffron is the world’s most expensive spice. Saffron originated in western Asia but spread in both directions. It has been grown in Kashmir for almost two millennia. We can be fairly sure that saffron was part of the diets of luxury-loving Persians in pre-islamic times. Luxury-loving Parsis enjoy it to this day in pulaos, biryanis, and sweet dishes, especially nut halvas and kulfi, a rich ice cream. In the United States, we get excellent saffron from Spain, and also from Iran. Buy saffron from stores where there’s likely to be brisk turnover.