SAFFRON STEMS

Saffron is a special spice extracted from the Crocus Sativus, a small, purple flower belonging to the violet family. It is a botanical variety native to Asia, but which has spread to Africa and southern Europe over the centuries.

The Crocus, as it is commonly called today, was already known and used at the time of the Egyptians, and it is found even depicted in ancient papyruses. It was also very popular in ancient Greece and Rome, as the Roman poet Ovid mentions in The Metamorphoses, where he tells about the mythological origin of this flower that was even loved by the Olympian gods. In fact, it seems that, as Homer tells us in the Iliad, the king of the gods Zeus slept on a bed strewn with these little flowers with their yellow pistils.

It was the Arabs who introduced the use and consumption of this spice. Indeed, the term ‘saffron’ comes from Arabic Al Zafaran who brought it to Arab Spain.

Until 1700, saffron was the prerogative of the Kingdom of Spain, which, according to the laws of the time, it was the only country allowed to cultivate and export it to the Old Continent. It was brought to Italy thanks to a monk from Abruzzo, a botany enthusiast, who managed to steal some bulbs of this precious little flower and then cultivate it in his land.

Saffron is still today one of the most sought-after and appreciated spices in gastronomy. Its refined flavour can enhance many dishes without completely covering other flavours. This spice also has many beneficial properties such as being a natural antioxidant and an excellent remedy against stress and heart rhythm problems.

In the Italian culinary tradition, this yellowish spice is inextricably linked to rice, and it is from this combination that one of Italy’s most famous dishes was born: il Risotto alla Milanese.

Legend has it that its history is linked to that of the Milan Cathedral, a splendid architectural masterpiece of International Gothic taste. In fact, it was created in 1574 for the wedding of the daughter of a glassworker who worked at the Fabbrica del Duomo. It was on this occasion that for the first time someone had the idea of adding the precious yellow spice, used by glassmakers as a pigment to create yellow glass, to a simple butter risotto. The new dish was an immediate success, both because of its distinctive flavour and its bright colour, reminiscent of gold, giving a simple dish an allure of richness.