I have enjoyed yellow rice since childhood. Growing up in an area where chicken with yellow rice–yellow rice colored with turmeric, it should be noted–I have long appreciated yellow rice, even without knowing any of the supposed health benefits of curcumin. Yet yellow rice and its ingredients have served as frequent and entertaining sources of entertainment from at least two of my friends. One of my friends at church, who I eat dinners with on a regular basis, has a deep passion for informing people of the 800 health benefits of curcumin, obtained through yellow rice in small quantities but in much larger quantities in supplements promoted by health websites. Another friend is just as passionate about the benefits of saffron in rice.

These benefits are likely to be a source of mystery to many Americans, who by and large (at least in my understanding) appear to be rather ignorant of saffron as an ingredient in food. This ignorance is not shared in other parts of the world. Indeed, in other parts of the world, saffron is viewed to be of considerable importance in the preparation of food. Whenever I share pictures of the rice I am eating with one of my friends, there is an inevitable comment about how much better that rice would be with saffron, and how plain the rice looks like with just turmeric or something else rather than saffron serving as the main flavoring agent of the rice. Humorously enough, there is a considerable debate about the relative quality of the saffron of different nations, with Iranians and Pakistanis competing seriously for the most and the best saffron, with strong opinions running on both sides.

According to the OEC, in 2021, the United States imported some $16.9m of saffron, making it the fifth-largest importer of this treasured food item, getting about 3/4 of its saffron from Spain and lesser amounts from the Netherlands, Afghanistan, Portugal, and France. With the possible exception of Afghanistan, not likely to be a future trading partner for saffron with the United States, the rest of the nations are not known for the prestigious nature of their saffron. According to the World Bank, Iran alone exported more than $150M of saffron in 2021, accounting for more than half of all saffron exports, with Spain ($44.3M and 15.4% share), Afghanistan ($41.9M and 14.6% share), the United Arab Emirates ($10.3M and a 3.6% share), and Greece ($6.1M and a 2.1% share) together accounting for nearly 90% of all saffron exports. In stark contrast to the extreme centralization of the export of saffron, the importing of saffron is at least more widely spread, but even here there is extensive concentration. The United State’s imports of saffron only give it a 5.1% share of global imports according to the World Bank, with China’s $28.8M worth of imports giving it a 16.9% share, along with Spain ($12.7M, 7.5% share), Saudi Arabia ($11.4M, 6.7% share), and India ($10.8M, 6.4% share), with the World Bank viewing America’s imports of saffron at only $8.6M.

It remains unclear why it is that America’s importing of saffron, a product of considerable if relatively obscure trade importance, has such wide variance in terms of its reported value. It is also somewhat puzzling that Spain manages to be the second highest exporter and importer of saffron, suggesting that it might export large amounts of relatively low-quality saffron to nations like the United States while simultaneously importing smaller amounts of higher quality saffron from other nations for its own internal market of discriminating consumers. Considering that saffron is among the ingredients in higher-end paella, risotto alla milanese, bouillabaisse, shrikhand, and saffron milk cakes in such diverse cuisines as Spanish, Italian, French, Indian, and Middle Eastern, its uses are widespread in rice dishes, soups, sauces, teas, ice creams, and baked goods. Perhaps unsurprisingly, saffron is credited with various health benefits, ranging from improving mood and helping with depression, protecting the nervous system from inflammation, reducing appetite and helping with weight loss, enhancing libido, and supporting eye health, some of which are of particular interest to many people.

In light of all this, it is hardly a surprise that I would have a friend with whom I joke about how one is to obtain saffron. With it not being as common an ingredient in the American diet as one would hope, and with its worth and benefits both being considerable, how is one of modest means such as I have to obtain this product? The places where I eat–even those which might be expected to add saffron to their food–are not known for doing so. The main source of saffron is a nation that has poor diplomatic (to say nothing of trade) relationships with the United States. It would seem in such a situation that the best solution may be to take up piracy in the Persian Gulf or Indian Ocean, and to say to would-be merchants in the product, “Stand and deliver, your saffron or your life.”