Also labeled “Safflower” from the Hispanic grocery store. Lots of neat things there, like those little peppers that go in General Tsao chicken, but I digress.
It looks like saffron, but at a dollar for a packet, it can’t be.
How is it used in cooking?
It gives the color of saffron but not the flavor.
Sometimes mixed into real saffron to delude the customer and stretch the product.
Or actually sold as saffron.
Saffron is harvested from the saffron crocus. The safflower is a completely different plant.
That far I got by myself. 
One never knows, and this being the Dope and all, the smallest detail cannot be overlooked. 
Thanks. 
How do you make Saffron rice, Chefguy? Real saffron does do a darn thing except turn the rice yellow.
Possibly your saffron isn’t fresh enough, or it’s cut with turmeric or something else. Or perhaps you’re not using enough. Most recipes call for a small pinch. I use a fairly hefty pinch (I buy it by the ounce $$$) and let it dissolve in the warm liquid before adding the rice. I also put butter in the pot and a handful of raisins. While it’s cooking, I saute some slivered almonds in butter, then mix them in at the end. Serve this with lamb kofta and you’ll be happy.