Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world and is one of the key ingredients of celebratory dishes like Biryani. Saffron strands are sold dried and have a luxurious earthy floral flavor. The strands release a beautiful orange-red pigment when immersed in liquid. The deeper the color of the saffron threads, the better the quality of the saffron. Saffron threads are the stamens of a high maintenance flower which only blooms once a week. Each flower produces only 3-4 stamens which must be picked by hand then dried. Harvesting saffron is an extremely labor intensive and expensive process. Spain is by far the largest exporters of saffron.