Saffron is known as "the king of spices," and as the world's most
expensive spice. Saffron is made from the dried stigmas of the flower
species crocus. Each flower of the crocus sativus has only three
pistils, and these must be picked by hand. Over 70,000 flowers are
required to yield 1 pound of saffron. It has been used since classical
times as a flavoring in food and wine. It is an effective stimulant and
digestive, increasing the flow of saliva and digestive juices. The very
best saffron is grown in Valencia, Spain. Unlike some saffron, ours is
made from the full stems and not ground-up pieces that can easily be
adulterated. The price of saffron is dependent on its coloring power
(graded categories i to iv with i being the strongest). The select is
category 1 and the sierra is category ii.