Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. Safranum comes from the Persian intercessor زعفران, or za'ferân. Old Persian is the first language in which the use of saffron in cooking is recorded, with references dating back thousands of years. In fact some sources argue that it originated from Middle East/Persia and became associated with Greek, Spanish, and Indian cuisines. (Wikipedia)