Saffron - The world's most expensive spice

By far, the most valuable spice in the world today is saffron. The dried stigmas of the saffron crocus plant can be purchased as saffron threads. A kilo of saffron costs, depending on the quality, Rs. 3,00,000.

The Saffron crocus is a member of the Iridaceae family. This plant was originally native to Asia Minor and the Mediterranean and is cultivated mainly in southern France, Iran, Spain, Italy, Morocco and Greece. The reason for the very high prices is the expensive harvesting costs. The saffron crocus blooms once a year for two weeks. The pistils, of which each flower has three, must be painstakingly harvested by hand in the morning just after the opening of the flower, otherwise the precious flavor evaporates. For one kilogram of saffron, one needs at least 150,000 flowers or an acreage of approximately 1,000 square meters.

Besides using saffron for seasoning, it is also used for coloring foods. The very rich spice is mainly used to flavor rice dishes.