Curiosities

Abruzzo saffron is now an excellent product of the region. It is said to originate from the island of Crete, and the story of its journey to Abruzzo is truly fascinating. The Arabs, spice exporters, introduced it to the Spanish. A monk from Navelli in the province of L’Aquila, around 1230, had to go to the tribunal of the Holy Inquisition in Toledo. During his stay in Spain, being passionate about agriculture, he fell in love with these precious plants and, believing they were suitable for cultivation on the lands of Navelli, he secretly brought some bulbs with him. Indeed, monk Santucci was right because the bulbs adapted well to the climate and terrain of the Navelli plain, leading to an excellent production. In the second half of the last century, cultivation came to a halt, risking disappearing, but a small group of growers decided to form a small cooperative to recover its cultivation. Finally, in 2005, the European Community recognized the saffron of L’Aquila with Protected Designation of Origin.

To produce one kilogram of L’Aquila DOP saffron, about 200,000/250,000 flowers and 500 hours of work are needed. The work operations are done manually, the process of both harvesting and processing is laborious, which is why the cost is high.

L’Aquila DOP saffron is purple-red, with a strong taste and intense aroma.

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