曾经和黄金一样贵的香料

这种香料曾经和同等重量的黄金一样值钱。把这个故事分享给热爱做饭的人。藏红花来自一种小小的紫色花朵，番红花。每朵花里只有三根细细的红色花丝，而人们用的，也只有这些精致的花丝。

This spice used to be worth its weight in gold. Send this to someone who loves cooking. Saffron comes from one small purple flower, the crocus. Inside each flower are three thin red threads, and only those delicate threads are ever used.

工人必须在清晨花朵还未被阳光晒开之前，用手一根一根地采摘花丝。要制成一磅藏红花，需要用掉成千上万朵花。在历史上的大多数时期，一磅晒干的花丝，价格几乎和一磅黄金相当。

Workers must pick every thread by hand, early in the morning before the flowers open in the sun. It takes tens of thousands of flowers to make just one pound of saffron. For most of history, that pound of dried threads cost about the same as a pound of gold.

如今，黄金的价格已经远远超过了藏红花，但藏红花依然是世界上任何厨房里最昂贵的香料。只需一小撮，就能改变整整一锅米饭的颜色和味道。

Today gold costs much more than saffron, but saffron remains the most expensive spice in any kitchen in the world. A single pinch can change the color and the taste of a whole pot of rice.