Saffron
A spice made from the dried red stigmas of the saffron crocus, picked by hand.
Also: kesar, zafran
Saffron comes from Crocus sativus, a purple autumn-flowering crocus. Each flower has three thread-like red stigmas. They are plucked by hand and dried, and it takes well over a hundred flowers to make a single gram, which is why saffron is the most expensive spice by weight. It gives a golden colour and a distinct aroma to rice dishes, sweets and drinks. Iran grows most of the world's supply. Kashmir, Spain, Greece, Morocco and Afghanistan are other sources.