Zafferano dell’Aquila PDO saffron

Saffron is made of the stigmas of the Crocus sativus flower: three red threads per flower, separated by hand and dried. Zafferano dell’Aquila is grown on the Navelli plateau and nearby areas, and has been a Protected Designation of Origin since 4 February 2005 (Reg. EC 205/2005).

It has an intense colour, a strong aroma and a full flavour: a few threads are enough to flavour a dish. Production is small and entirely manual, which explains its high price.

The production area covers 13 municipalities in the province of L’Aquila, on land between 350 and 1,000 metres above sea level. Its heart is the Navelli plateau, with the hamlet of Civitaretenga, home to the protection consortium and the producers’ cooperative.

• Barisciano
• Caporciano
• Fagnano Alto
• Fontecchio
• L’Aquila
• Molina Aterno
• Navelli
• Poggio Picenze
• Prata d’Ansidonia
• San Demetrio ne’ Vestini
• San Pio delle Camere
• Tione degli Abruzzi
• Villa Sant’Angelo

1. In summer the bulbs (corms) are planted in the fields in neat rows.
2. Flowering comes in autumn, usually between late October and early November, and lasts a few weeks.
3. The flowers are picked by hand at dawn, while still closed, to protect the stigmas.
4. The same day, at home, the three red stigmas are removed by hand from each flower: the «sfioritura».
5. The stigmas are dried straight away over embers, in sieves: the «tostatura», which fixes colour and aroma.
6. The dried saffron is kept in the dark and packed as whole stigmas or ground into powder.

In Abruzzo saffron flavours mountain dishes and holiday recipes. The home tip is to infuse it before use.

• Saffron risotto, the simplest classic
• Maltagliati or sagne with saffron and sausage, typical of the L’Aquila area; it also goes well with sagne e ceci
• Broths, pulse soups and white ragùs
• Saffron liqueur and desserts such as biscuits and creams
• Flavoured cheeses and cured meats made by some local producers

• For the best aroma, soak the threads in a little warm water or broth for 20–30 minutes and add them at the end of cooking.
• Very little is needed: about 0.1–0.2 g is enough for 4 portions of risotto.
• Choose whole stigmas: they are easy to recognise, while powder is easier to adulterate.
• Keep it in a tightly closed jar, in the dark, away from heat and moisture.

Photo 1: saffron in flower at Navelli; photo 2: picking the flowers; photo 3: a saffron field at Navelli in the morning. Credits: Giancarlo.pak (CC BY-SA 4.0); Giancarlo Vetrone and Giancarlo Vetrone (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons, resized; the menu icon is also made from photo 1.

According to tradition, saffron reached the L’Aquila area in the Middle Ages thanks to a Dominican friar of the Santucci family of Navelli, who is said to have brought the bulbs from Spain. Sources disagree on the dates, but cultivation in the area is very old.

In the following centuries saffron became one of L’Aquila’s great sources of wealth and was traded to the main Italian and European markets. Today production is small but protected by the PDO and by the Consortium, founded in 2005.