Saffron - Red Gold

Saffron is obtained from the flowers of a type of crocus (commonly known as the saffron crocus) which in turn is a member of the iris family. In autumn the flowers bloom and the vibrant crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried to give us the spice called saffron. It is the most expensive spice in the world by weight because 150,000 to 200,000 flowers are needed to obtain 1 kg of saffron and the harvest can be done by hand only. The harvest takes place once a year over a period of a few weeks. No wonder it is referred to as "red gold"!