Saffron

Saffron is one of the oldest and certainly amongst the world's most expensive spices. It is a dried stigma of crocus sativus flowers, a small perennial plant, which grows 15 to 25 cm in height. Each flower consists of three stigmas (female part) and two male parts (stamen) also called the style. The stigma has a silky thread like appearance with a dark red color at the top and yellow at the bottom of the stigma. A bitter taste and an iodoform - or hay - like fragrance characterize saffron. The flavor, aroma and coloring properties come from the red part of the stigma.