Saffron is a rare spice where each saffron corcus flower only bears three stigmas. These stigmas are collected, dried, and usually used in pinches (1/4 teaspoon, 10+ strands) in each dish for its “bitter taste [and/or] hay-like fragrance” (Wikipedia). It’s wonderful. And expensive. I once journeyed around Berkeley to find this rarity, and after visiting many Asian markets I found Bombay Spice House where saffron was sold behind the counter, after personally asking the owner. A year later, I saw it sold in small packages at Trader Joe’s. -_-
My fiancé, wow-that-still-sounds-so-weird, remembered this story and bought me a bag of saffron from Tanzania this past summer and we finally used it in a dish today called, “Carol’s Arroz Con Pollo,” which means “chicken served with seasoned rice.”
The End.
