[Herbalist] saffron

[Tara Boroson]

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>Saffron is the most precious and most expensive spice in the world.
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A gentleman who runs an ice cream parlor in Bethlehem, PA made an 
interesting point to me.  He makes all his own ice creams with natural 
ingredients, and one of them is a saffron ice cream.  He is from India, 
and (like all Indian families I know,) he goes through saffron both at 
home and in his shop by the kilo.  He said that saffron may be the most 
expensive spice literally, but in practice, vanilla is.  This is because 
for any single use, you use much more vanilla.  The big pinch of saffron 
that I add to paella may be worth fifty cents or a dollar, but the 
single vanilla bean that I use for a dessert is worth three or four 
dollars.  That's why artificial vanilla is so common.

Just something to contemplate :)

-Magdalena vander Brugghe