[Sca-cooks] Spices was licorice,

[ranvaig at columbus.rr.com]

>but saffron is the stamen (or is it the pistil) or whatever is the male part
>of the flower which pulled from the flower, and then it is dried until it
>looks like a filament......so that would almost make it an herb, but if one
>follows the other rule about spices, it would be a spice because it is not
>native to america or europe....

Definition:
Spice: Pungent or aromatic seasonings obtained from the bark, buds, 
fruit, roots, seeds or stems of various plants and trees (whereas 
HERBS usually come from the leafy part of a plant)

So Coriander seed is a spice, while Cilantro is an herb, even though 
they are one plant.  Licorice is a spice, because the flavor is from 
the roots.  Saffron is a spice because it comes from the flower.

And Saffron IS native to Europe.  There are pictures of it on the 
walls of Knossos.
http://greekproducts.com/greekproducts/saffron/history.html

Ranvaig