It's crazy. Vanilla comes in all kinds of varieties and qualities and it's essential to baking almost anything, so I get why it can be a little spendy, even if the good stuff really is good. But saffron... it's hard to imagine that my body weight in saffron could buy a house. But also that it's so fragrant and flavorful that it's worth that much. I think I have half a gram for if I ever need to try and make Indian-style curry.