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Punk Tea Hop.
Have you ever noticed how expensive one of the spices in the shops is?
You've got cinnamon here, 66 US cents for 10 grams,
turmeric, 70 cents, and saffron $145 for only 10 grams.
Unsurprisingly, at that kind of price,
there's hard any in this little jar on sale for $5.85, less than half a gram.
In fact, I can hardly see it in there.
It's in a tiny jar within the small jar.
They call it red gold and it has at times been worth as much as real gold.
I'm Ruth Alexander and for the Food Chain this week from the BBC World Service,
I'm going to be finding out what's so special about saffron,
why it's expensive,
how that attracts criminal activity and why there's a new red gold rush underway.
I'll confess it's not a spice I've actually ever used.
I've eaten it, but I don't remember a particularly distinctive taste.
So let's get a more expert introduction from an Iranian American cookbook author.
My name is Najmi Bhatpongilis.
I don't think I am really properly acquainted with the taste of saffron.
I've enjoyed Swedish lusicata buns made with saffron, but,