Rita Carroll’s farm in Orange, Virginia, is full of gold—not the precious metal, but a profusion of crocuses that contain sunny-hued saffron, the world’s most expensive spice. “It’s a beautiful purple crocus,” she says. “When you pick saffron fresh, it smells like honey. It’s lovely.”
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Carroll has been growing saffron at her historic estate, the Farm in Orange, since 2021, and she is part of the growing trend of American farmers tending the specialty crocuses. Saffron, native to the Mediterranean and Middle East, has become a popular niche crop on farms in Pennsylvania, California, Vermont, and increasingly, the Southeast, thanks to its drought tolerance and laissez-faire requirements: Plant and wait.
Earthy, floral-scented saffron finds its way into savory and sweet dishes including rice tahdig, tea, and sponge cake. Carroll’s love of cooking first drew her to the plant. Two decades ago, she was making chicken tagine with a recipe that called for a half teaspoon of saffron. She was shocked to find that a few tiny threads cost close to $100 at the grocery store…