The spice derived from the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus is saffron.
Crocus sativus is known as the saffron crocus. Each purple flower produces three vivid red stigmas, often called threads. These are carefully picked, separated from the flowers, and dried; the resulting threads provide saffron’s distinctive flavor, aroma, and golden color. The plant is sterile and propagated through corms rather than ordinary seeds.
Saffron is unusually expensive because harvesting is labor-intensive. Roughly 150 flowers may be needed to produce just 1 gram of dried threads. Its flavor comes largely from picrocrocin and safranal, while the carotenoid crocin creates its characteristic yellow hue.
The spice has been used for more than 3,500 years in cooking, textile dyeing, perfumery, traditional medicine, and ritual practices. It is central to dishes such as Persian chelow, Spanish paella, and Italian risotto alla Milanese. Turmeric can also color food yellow, but it is a different plant and is not made from flower stigmas.