Area restaurants and home cooks who rely on Lake View–based Heray Spice for real-deal saffron from Afghanistan went through a bit of a withdrawal last fall. When the Taliban regained control of that ...

Saffron can cost up to $10,000 per pound. It comes from the flower Crocus sativus, a small purple bloom that appears for only a short window each year. The part used as a spice is the stigma, the thin ...

Mohammad Salehi opens a jar of saffron and smells the dark crimson threads nestled inside. The spice has a rich, musky aroma that’s a reminder of home. Heray Spice, Salehi’s fair trade business, ...