Saffron Spice
Saffron, also known as "crocus sativus", is the orange-red stigma found on a crocus flower. It is one of the most expensive spices in the whole world because of its large demand. With the purple crocus flower only containing three orange-red stigmas each, it would take a lot of flowers to fill up the demand for saffron. Additionally, saffron only blooms in Autumn and its the process of harvesting is quite intricate which makes it a very expensive commodity.
The saffron plant usually grows about 20-30 cm tall and it may carry up to 4 flowers each. Having originated from Greece,"crocus sativus" is regarded as a mutation of the "crocus cartwrightianus", which is a native of Crete. Unfortunately, unlike the "crocus cartwrightianus", a saffron plant is not fertile and perennial tuber propagation is needed. This is also another reason why saffron has become such a luxury.
Saffron has approximately 150 different and volatile aroma-bearing compounds. The yellow color of the spice may come from the carotenoids that are contained within the crocus plant.
Saffron is one of the most highly valued spices in a gourmet kitchen because of its aromatic and intense flavor. However, gourmet kitchens are not the only place where this spice is valued because it is also a well regarded in any domestic kitchen. In Spanish kitchens, Paella would never be complete without these yellow-colored threads. Saffron may also be used in baking desserts or pastries. Truly, saffron is a versatile spice