Saffron cost (was Re: SC - Welcome and sources of ingredients)

[James F. Johnson]

grizly at mindspring.com wrote:
> 
> I pay $6.00 per dwt., which is 100/th of a pound.  That makes $600/pound.  at $7/ounce, $112/pound, I would question that it is first quality Mancha saffron.  Spanish, maybe.....but is it Mancha.
> 
> niccolo
> 
> sca-cooks at ansteorra.org wrote:
> > <<SNIP>>Incidently, I wasn't paying much attention to the saffron discussion.  Is $17/oz. considered a good price for Spanish saffron?

At the local gourmand shop, I get 1 (one) gram for US$3.95 of "Pure
Mancha Superior Saffron" in a nice little hard plastic box shrink
wrapped and tied off with a gold cord. At the local health food co-op, I
can get a poly Ziploc bag of 1 (one) gram of "Saffron, _Crocus sativus_"
from Trinity Herb in Graten, California, for US$5.95. No indication if
it is not imported (and I've heard rumours that it is from Mexico, not
Spain.) The Mancha Superior seems slightly darker in colour with less
lighter threads. And the Mancha Superior has a definitely more intense
aroma.

@5.95/gm = US$130.90/lb = US$8.19/oz
@3.95/gm = US$86.90/lb = US$5.44/oz
Seumas