Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, and for good reason. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, the high cost of saffron comes down to its labor-intensive harvesting process, limited yield, and short blooming season. Saffron is derived from the stigma of the Crocus sativus flower, a delicate purple bloom that produces only three tiny red stigmas per flower. These stigmas are the part used as the spice. To produce just one pound of saffron, it takes around 75,000 flowers, and all of them must be hand-harvested. The flowers bloom for only two to three weeks each year, and the stigmas must be picked quickly, often before sunrise, before they wilt or degrade in quality.
continued on next page
