Saffron: most expensive spice

Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world.  This rich yellow spice has for centuries been worth its weight in gold.  Saffron was first used as a spice in Asia about 4000 years ago.

The Arabs introduced Saffron in Spain around the 8^th century and ever since then, Spain has been a major exporter.  Saffron flower is violet in color and it contains three yellow-orange stigmas which is the part that has all the economic value.  Since ancient times Saffron has been used as a dye, spice, medicine and perfume.  It takes about 75,000 flowers to yield a pound of saffron. It takes 13,125 threads or stigmas to weigh one ounce of saffron.  This is why this spice is so expensive.  However, only two or three flakes or threads are used at one time as a spice.

Saffron was a favorite of the ancient Egyptians.  The Egyptian nobility wore robes dyed with saffron and saffron perfumes, ate foods spiced with the herb and used saffron to treat head, respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders.

India’s Ayurveda physicians considered saffron as a circulatory stimulant, kidney and liver remedy, to treat cholera and menstruation problems and as an aphrodisiac.

Ancient Chinese physicians recommended saffron for depression and complications of childbirth.

Despite its cultivation in Spain, saffron was a rare spice in Northern Europe.  By the14^th

Century, spice merchants all over Europe turned into saffron grocers, probably due to the value of the spice.   Folk healers of that time recommended saffron for curing jaundice and insomnia.

Nicholas Culpeper, English herbalist of the17^{th century}, considered saffron a very elegant, exhilarating and useful spice for depression, digestion, and cough. However, Culpeper also warned of its potential hazard in case dose was too large it could cause heaviness of head and sleepiness.

One research supports that this herb provides protection against heart disease. Certain percentage of the population in Spain has little heart disease despite a high fat diet.  Some experts give credit to the liberal use of olive oil but in an article in the British medical journal, Lancet argued for saffron and its generous use in the Spanish cuisine as the heart protective factor.

The saffron of Kashmir has an exquisite lotus-like fragrance and is of high quality.

Saffron belongs to Iridaceae family and other members of the same family are iris and gladiolus.  Its botanical name is Crocus sativus and stigmas of the flower are used as cooking and healing herb.