Saffron
The crocus on the photo is the ordinary Dutch crocus vernus, which blooms in springtime. As I googled and wiki-ed the internet for more crocus info, I had a(nother) learning moment: the very expensive spice saffron is derived from a crocus: the 'crocus sativus'. This species blooms in September-October and has three yellow stigmas instead of one.
The stigmas of the crocus sativus have to be hand-picked to dry. It takes 150,000 to 250,000 stigmas to make one pound of dried saffron! Luckily, it just takes a little saffron to color and flavor your food. A cheaper substitute is turmeric (kurkuma or koenjit in perfect Dutch ;) I use this to color rice. Traditionally, yellow rice (nasi kuning) is served during special events, like traditional celebrations and birthdays.
