Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world because it takes 75,000 flowers to make just one pound of it.

Saffron comes from the Crocus sativus flower. This plant only blooms for two to three weeks every autumn. Workers must harvest the flowers at dawn before the sun gets too hot. This protects the delicate red threads from wilting or losing their flavor.It takes about 400 hours of manual labor to collect enough threads for one kilogram of spice. After picking, the threads are dried immediately to keep them fresh. This drying process locks in the chemicals that give saffron its color and smell. One pound of high-quality saffron can cost over $2,000.The spice contains a chemical called crocin which creates a bright yellow color in food. Another chemical called picrocrocin gives it a slightly bitter taste. Safranal is the compound responsible for its unique smell. Iran produces about 90% of the world's saffron supply every year.