That pound could cost you around $1,500. Above: A field of saffron crocus. Photograph by Shellie via Flickr. Or you can buy about 30 bulbs for less than $20, plant them, and grind your own saffron.

Did you ever see a field of crocuses? There’s only one logical explanation for that marvelous display, and it’s based on Greek mythology. Before recorded time, when Zeus, god of the sky and king of ...