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Among the various spices, saffron (Crocus sativus), herbaceous-bulbous species belonging to the Iridacee family, which includes various varieties; it is surely one of the most precious spices; in particular, the variety cultivated in the plain of Navelli is thought to be the best of the world because of its qualities. The production in these areas is favoured by the growth on karstic soils, which avoids water stagnation which are unfavourable for the growth of plants.

It hails from the Middle East and it was introduced around 1300 in Italy thanks to a Dominican friar; its cultivation was spread in Abruzzo and in many other areas of the Peninsula, but it started to decay and because of various reasons it got restricted to the plain of  Navelli.

The manufacturing process requires passion and attention: the collection and manufacturing activities are cured by the “Cooperativa Altopiano di Navelli” and it is made by hand. The flower collection is made during October at down before the blossoming of flowers. They are carried inside and the stigmas are removed and disposed on a sieve, then they are put on a grill with oak or almond tree firewood to make them roast.

After being roasted, the weight of the stigmas is reduced to one-sixth of the initial weight: 200,000 flowers are required to obtain a kilo of saffron threads. The most precious quality of saffron is the one packed in threads or stigmas. It unleashes its maximum taste and scent, but it requires a careful manufacturing process, since it has to be roasted and powdered or sunk in boiling water.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)