Saffron Is the World's Most Expensive Spice by Weight

Saffron's value lies in the vivid crimson stigmas of the Crocus sativus flower, which must be harvested entirely by hand. Each flower produces only three stigmas, and they must be picked at mid-morning when the flower is fully open to the sun. It takes roughly 370 to 470 hours of labor to harvest enough flowers for a single kilogram of saffron. The flowers bloom in the fall for only a few days, and there exists no mechanized way to harvest them. The threads are then carefully dried to preserve their distinctive flavor and golden color. Iran produces approximately 90 percent of the world's saffron, with the spice being an essential ingredient in Persian cuisine. The term red gold accurately describes both its color and its value. Saffron has been traded for over 3,500 years and remains the costliest spice on Earth by weight.