Saffron is one of the world’s most expensive spices.

An old botanical illustration of the saffron crocus. On the left side of the drawing are the reddish stamens which are hand-gathered to produce the spice saffron. 

Oil, mustard seeds, tumeric and threads of saffron for a Middle Eastern-style roasted cauliflower side dish. Saffron imbues any food dish with a distinctive yellow colour and a subtle acrid flavour. This paella with saffron rice was served in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Saffron ice cream at the Hillside Winery in Naramata, Canada. If saffron is too expensive then Spigol is an inexpensive saffron substitute. In times past, when labour was cheap, saffron was used for dyeing fabric, often resulting in a rich orange colour as opposed to the bright yellow colour it imparts to food. These silk threads are dyed with saffron… 
A ‘saffron’ robe hung to dry in the monk’s quarters of a Buddhist temple in Luang Prabang, Laos.Nowadays the Buddhist robes are dyed with tumeric, a substantially cheaper spice with the same saffron colour. I know from personal experience that it stains like crazy so its ability to dye fabric is undeniable.More on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Colours that Start with S.