Instructions: The flavor of Spain is steeped in saffron. This precious spice has its own mystique - the golden color it gives food reflects its fabulous costliness.

Saffron threads grow at the center of flowers of a plant in the crocus family; they are what is botanically known as the stigma. In the La Mancha region of Spain, a source area for high-quality saffron at least as far back as the Middle Ages, the delicate red saffron threads are picked by hand in an October harvest that lasts barely 10 days.

Each flower carries only three tiny threads of the spice; the stigmas from more than 70,000 flowers are needed to make one pound of saffron. That is why a pound can be worth thousands of dollars.

Fortunately, a very little goes a long way. A few strands are usually enough to season a dish.

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