Part 4/9:
Why, you ask, was saffron such a prized spice? Saffron, known as the "red gold" of Persia and later Spain, has always required immense labor to harvest. Sourced from the delicate flower of the crocus sativus, the stigmas must be hand-picked just as they bloom, making up the integral component of saffron after drying. Its labor-intensive collection craftily lent a high value to saffron, distinguishing it from other spices commonly transported across long distances.