King's Daughter's Kitchen

Saffron threads, real ones, not counterfeit, in the souks of Morocco are $8 to $12 a gram and $8,000 to $12,000 a kilo. I could get a kilo in Dubai cheaper for $2,800 to $3,000. I would have to fly 3,700 miles from Morocco to Dubai to make the purchase. Why do I care?

I want to make authentic paella and to have leftover saffron threads for other recipe experiments. One tablespoon of dry powder equals fourteen grams. One tablespoon equals $168 of wonderful, delicious flavor, or a terrible, expensive mistake. Ever since I learned to speak Castilian Spanish and to cook, I have dreamed of eating real paella made by a person chatting with me in Catalan while I cook alongside him or her. I want to visit the beaches of Valencia after I have toured their famous aquarium. I would love to eat paella from different cooks every day. I want to go soon, to make a memory.

I want to make paella for the experience. Yes, I can get the cheap stuff. Yes, I can use frozen peas instead of picking them. I could buy the fish, but I want to prove to myself that I can still do it. I can still catch fish. I can still clean them. I still know how cook them until they’re flaky and beautiful. I want to be involved in every step of the process, to touch the food, to share the meal, and to appreciate every bite.