Saffron

All markers of good paella—saffron, sausage, shrimp, crispy rice on the bottom—with the time-saving advantages of fried rice.

A little saffron goes a long way in this standout sauce, finished with cracked pepper, salty Parmesan, and fragrant basil.

This version of aam panna, the ultra-refreshing summer drink, swaps green mangoes for a classic pantry staple: jarred applesauce (yes, really).

Sponge cake takes a bath in sweet saffron-infused milk, emerges sunshine-yellow and ready to feed a crowd.

Blueberries and saffron may seem like they’re from different worlds, but here they come together like delicious star-crossed lovers.

Beans cozy up with spring alliums and plenty of olive oil.

This tahdig is dressed up with cranberries and woody herbs for a Thanksgiving-y, festive feel.

Most of the world's saffron is grown in Iran, but the rest of the story is not so straightforward.

Saffron’s deep crimson threads add an intense sunset-orange hue and rich aroma to whatever it touches, but the downside is that it’s very expensive. This dish from recipe developer Yasmin Fahr uses a saffron technique taught to her mother by her mother and then passed on to her. By gently grinding the saffron threads, then mixing them with water, you can create a saffron liquid that makes a little bit of the expensive spice go a longer way (and it helps the threads dissolve better). If you don’t like fish skin, it’s easier to remove after you cook it.

This impossibly smooth, thick, saffron-studded treat is yogurt in its dreamiest, creamiest dessert form.

Olderbrother founders Bobby Bonaparte and Max Kingery serve up looks inspired by an unlikely source: the vibrantly hued ingredients of the moment.

These are the Middle Eastern ingredients that senior food editor Andy Baraghani swears by.

You already know that this red spice is amazing (and expensive), but what is saffron, exactly?

Notes from a lifetime of eating (and cooking) with saffron

Senior food editor Andy Baraghani shows us how the food he grew up on shapes the way he cooks today.

This stunning crispy rice, also known as tachin, is buttery and rich. It's easier to make than it seems.

Unlike traditional madeleines, these have a buttery, cake-like consistency that will keep for days.

Trust us, saffron oil sounds a lot fancier than it really is to make.

This brittle recipe is a riff on an Iranian candy known as sohan. Its snappy texture and fragrant flavor pair well with bitter tea.

This rice dish is based on one of the most famous Persian polos (pilaf), known as sabzi polo.

This seafood paella recipe requires organization and slicing and dicing in advance. But once the paella gets going, the process is pretty seamless—and the rewards are huge.

Anchor these in short vases filled with granulated sugar and win sweetest decor award.

Blind-baking the crust in this lemon buttermilk pie recipe is essential: It keeps it from getting soggy when the custardy filling is added.

For this cod recipe, you want to cook it at a lazy simmer; it will make all the difference between buttery, flaky fish and rubbery, tough fillets.