Food Guides: Spices: Saffron

The word saffron comes from the Arabic word asfar, meaning yellow. Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world due to the difficulty of the production. Grown in India, Iran and Spain, Saffron is is the dried yellow stigmas of the violet flowers of Crocus Sativus, a member of the Iris family. These stigmas must be harvested by hand and it requires approximately 35,000 - 100,000 flowers for 1 ounce of saffron, depending on the size of each stigma.

Saffron is mentioned as far back as 1500 b.c. in Biblical and classical writings and it was used to scent the public baths in Ancient Rome. It was also used medicinally to treat over 90 illnesses for over four thousand years.

As well as being used in dyes, Saffron is also used in Indian Dishes and Italian rice dishes. It also goes well with fish and seafood as well as a key ingredient of Spanish paella and bouillabaisse.