The red gold of Abruzzo

Saffron dell'Aquila PDO is produced in the Navelli Plateau, in the heart of Abruzzo in autumn when the small purple flowers bloom. The saffron crocuses grow between 350 and 1000 meters above sea level and the show of flowering on the fields around Navelli and the other enchanting villages is of breathtaking beauty.

The cultivation and processing of red gold is long-standing. In the 13th century, a monk returned his trip to Spain, brought with him the bulbs of a seedling. He buried them, and the seedlings found a favorable environment. The cultivation of crocus sativus in Abruzzo began like this, almost by chance. It was soon discovered that the trade in dried stigmas of fragile seedlings was a very interesting business. For a few grams of saffron, large sums of money were paid. That situation has not changed at all: saffron remains a required and sought after spice very difficult to produce.

The flowers should be picked by hand, early in the morning, before they open in the sun. They are transported in large baskets in the homes and laboratories of countries. And there, around the table, that the most delicate part of the work takes place.

The flowers are opened one by one and the three stigmas are removed by hand. It is only these that are used to produce saffron. The collected stigmas are carefully dried on top of almond or oak embers and then packaged and distributed.
The high price is justified that to produce a pound of saffron, you need more than one hundred thousand flowers.

Nowadays it is used in cooking in traditional Italian dishes as a saffron risotto and in Mediterranean and Oriental cuisines. The Navelli plateau provides only part of Italian production but the PDO abbreviation guarantees the authenticity and quality of this exceptional product.