Saffron may well be the most expensive spice on earth, fetching as much as $150 per ounce. And in case you’re doing the math, that’s about $4.8 million per ton! Why so costly? The source of this exotic spice is the stigmas of a crocus flower that blooms once a year for only a few days. Each flower must be picked and its three fragile stigmas removed from the center of its petals by hand—a very tedious process. It takes about 4,500 crocus blossoms to yield that precious ounce of spice.[1] Unlike most crocuses that we grow in the US, the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus) blooms in the fall. The flower is a petite, lavender bloom with six petals. Nestled inside this delicate blossom are three burnt-orange stigmas (the female part of the flower) that bare its delicious flavor and pleasant aroma.[2] Saffron has been cultivated for millennia. Though widely … Continue reading 5 Saffron Health Benefits