The World’s most expensive spice : Saffron

The World’s most expensive spice : Saffron

Good things come in small packages, and this rings true for this exotic spice.

The finest version of Saffron (called coupé grade), sells for $8.29 a gram. That's close to $9000 for one kg of the spice, or for Americans out there, ~$250 an ounce.

Why is it so expensive, I hear you ask?

• It requires 75000 to 250000 flowers to get 1 pound (0.45 kg) of saffron, necessitating hours upon hours of patient, precise yet extremely tiring labor.
• The average production is measly to say the least, at 1 pound/hectare
• There's also a specific time of the day to harvest the spice for optimum utility.

As with most expensive things, counterfeiting and adulteration is rampant in the Saffron industry. Here are some ways to identify fake saffron :

• Dissolve a pinch of saffron in water - if the color changes, then it’s fake.
• Genuine saffron smells sweet but has a bitter taste, while fake saffron often tastes sweet.

Some Facts

• Iran is responsible for 90% of the worldwide saffron production.
• India also produces saffron in the Kashmir region.