Saffron

spice · expensive · flowers · cooking

Tiny crimson threads. Saffron comes from a special purple flower called the saffron crocus. To make just one pound of saffron, you need to collect threads from about 75,000 flowers by hand.

Incredibly valuable. Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. It takes so much work to harvest and dry those tiny threads that a single ounce can cost more than gold.

Colors and flavors food. Cooks use saffron to make rice, soups, and special dishes turn golden yellow and taste warm and a little bit sweet. Just a tiny pinch gives big flavor to a whole pot of food.

Spread across continents. People slowly brought saffron crocus plants from their original home across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Now it grows in many different countries around the world.

Ancient dye source. Before it was popular as food seasoning, people used saffron to dye fabrics brilliant yellow and orange colors in ancient times.