In Search of the $10,000 Spice

2.) Where the best (and the rest) comes from. Native to Southwest Asia, saffron was first cultivated in Greece and later all around the world, from Japan to India to Morocco, Kashmir to Turkey to Lancaster, Pennsylvania (yes, Pennsylvania). Saffron crocuses grow best in rich, drained soil and dry, warm environments such as the Mediterranean and the Middle East and, perhaps most famously, La Mancha, Spain. According to Born, Spain used to produce about 70 percent of the world’s saffron crop, but today produces less than 5 percent. Why the drastic decrease? Born explains that in the post-Franco years, Spain has undergone a major cultural modernization and become one of the leading world economies. To compete in the global saffron market, then, laborers can only be paid a very low wage. “In Spain, people can no longer really afford that,” says Born. “Less and less people have been willing to grow it there, which has gone hand in hand with the Iranians producing more and more.” Iran has been producing so much saffron, in fact, that Spain has begun to import Persian saffron, repackage it, and sell it as Spanish. The Iranians have more or less taken over the market.

At its peak, Iran has been producing anywhere from 120 to 200 tons of saffron per year. But with this past year’s extreme weather, Iran’s production is way down, and rumors are that Iran has only produced 30 to 80 tons of saffron this year. (Remember how Born said prices were so off? This is why.) One thing’s for sure, says Born: “Way less saffron for the world market.”

The question still lingers, though: Where does the best saffron in the world come from? La Mancha? Qaen, Iran? Macedonia? It depends who you ask: "Part of that has to do with our memory and our olfactory senses. If you grew up on Persian saffron, then your memory and olfactory’s tied in together and that’s the flavor that you believe is how it’s supposed to be.” OK, but really, where does the best saffron come from? “What it comes down to,” says Born, “is that there is really high-quality saffron and really low-quality saffon grown in every saffron-producing country. Born remains nonpartisan: "I’m not to say one country’s saffron is better than the other.”

3.) What to do with the stuff. Traditionally, saffron has two main uses: as a dye (for textiles, paints, hair, etc.) and as a spice for cooking. (Since we won’t be hand-dying our clothing any time soon, let’s skip to the cooking.) Wherever saffron is grown, foods have been developed to showcase its magic: The French have bouillabaisse, the Italians have risotto Milanese, the Spanish have paella, India has biryani, curry, and kulfi, and Iran has a whole host of saffron-infused dishes. And saffron can be added to any number of plain foods to make them magical (saffron mashed potatoes, anyone?). But in order to make the most of saffron, you need to know how to handle the precious threads. The secret is infusion.

By infusing the saffron in liquid and letting it steep for half an hour, you will be able to convey the full flavor, color, and aroma that are the hallmarks of the spice. Making the infusion is simple, just like making tea: One pinch of saffron threads in about 8 ounces of liquid will generally yield the right intensity of flavor. And while you can make the infusion with hot water, you can also use any other liquid that you’re going to cook with, including meat or vegetable stocks, citrus juice, and even alcohol.