What Is Saffron and Why's It So Expensive Anyway?

We're featuring Roasted Cauliflower with Saffron this week... it's so distinctly and subtly delicious and an synergistic combination. You'll forget you're eating vegetables, thanks to the fragrance of saffron.

So what is saffron?
Saffron is the stigma of a Crocus sativus flower which blooms for only three weeks every fall. Each bulb produces approximately two to nine flowers per season which contain three long, red-orange stigmas.

It takes the stigmas of one hundred flowers, each picked by hand, to produce one gram of saffron.  One gram of saffron, whole not crushed, is 1-2 tsp. The intensive labor and care needed make saffron the most expensive spice in the world.

Is all saffron created equal?
It is not all the same. We use Spanish saffron of the Coupe grade we get from Savory Spice Shop. This is the highest quality of saffron from the top country of origin (Spain). All the threads have been hand-selected (after hand picking!) to contain only the red threads, which are the most flavorful. This means "coupe" grade has powerful coloring properties and packs a flavor punch. 

You'll taste the difference in this Roasted Cauliflower dish. We are truly blessed to have access to this amazing spice from such a special flower.