Someone just asked me what are the most expensive spices along with saffron and vanilla bean. I was guessing great cardamom, like that from Kerala. Then another person mentioned one I had never heard of - fennel pollen, from Italy, wildly expensive and flavorful. Has anyone here ever tasted it? And do you have any other guesses about the most expensive spices?

Click to view attachmentHi standrewsgirl . . . well, certainly I've tasted fennel. There's a Tom's toothpaste, that's flavored with fennel. Delicious. Difficult even to describe. Fennel seed is used in cooking, too. As for this particular powder, I can't say that I've been yet subject to its charms. Sounds intoxicating.

Saffron is the most expensive spice, that I've ever purchased.

I've got some fennel pollen. It like a rather grainy powder that smells strongly of anise. It's nice with fish if you like that fish-anise-licorice accord.

Oh man! I saw this thread and went to Penzey's to look around and oh dear, a bunch of new spice lemmings were born. Gee, thanks! ;)

At the Spice House website, they tell of it being mixed in a tiny amount into olive oil and spooned onto bread. I think that would need a sprinkle of coarse salt to make it just perfect.

My favorite pork sausage has fennel pollen in it, and it's sublime.

The best price for saffron is at Trader Joe's. I was ready to plan a trip to Spain to fill up a suitcase until I saw it at TJ.

I've seen the stuff at Trader Joe's as well. But is it the same thing? I've read that sometimes the cheap stuff is cheap because it isn't true saffron.

I bought my small container at an Indian grocery store for a few dollars. Hopefully, it is the real stuff.

Are you sure it isn't fennel seeds? That's not unusual in Italian sausage and very good. I've never seen the pollen used in sausage, not that it couldn't be, of course.

The tubby English guy who runs the Violet Hill Farms stand at Union Square on Saturdays says it's fennel pollen, and it's listed in the ingredient list for the sausage, along with apple and onion. Next time you need sweet sausage and you happen to be at the market on Saturday, it's worth checking out. The fennel pollen gives an interesting floral note to the sausage.

I like regular fennel seed in sausage, too.