You’ve probably heard of saffron. Maybe even cooked with it if you could afford it! This yellow spice has a strong, earthy, hay-like fragrance and is most commonly used in Indian, Persian, Arabic or Turkish foods, typically a rice or risotto dish. Beyond culinary use, saffron has a fascinating history. Here are 10 fun facts about this unique spice!

1. The name saffron is derived from Arabic, “zafaran,” meaning yellow.
2. Saffron is a spice that comes from the stigma (delicate threads) of the purple flowers from the Crocus sativus plant.
3. Each flower contains three stigmas that are laboriously handpicked and dried.
4. Since there are no machines to remove the stigmas from the flower, this detailed, strenuous job is often given to elderly women.
5. It takes about 70,000 crocus flowers to make just one pound of saffron spice.
6. Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world and can cost over $300 per ounce or more than $5,000 per pound.
7. Saffron has been used since ancient times when Romans bathed in saffron. It was even a cure for a hang-over.
8. Merchants would sometimes add substances to saffron to increase their profitability. This was a crime in the Middle Ages punished by being buried alive.
9. Historically saffron has been used in cooking, to dye clothes, as a perfume and herbal medicine.
10. Saffron health benefits include mood, libido and ability to fight free radicals.