Saffron, love's ingredient
This aromatic spice has symbolized love in all its forms since ancient times: the Greek myth narrates Crocos and Smilace's story. The mortal Crocos, who loved the nymph Smilace, beautiful and young forever, was turned into the saffron plant and she in the rough smilax.
It enriches dishes with an enveloping aroma, rich with beneficial properties for the body, and it has been used for centuries to colour Oriental-styled cloth. We are talking about saffron, a precious delight of Umbrian gastronomy. Yellow saffron: colour and perfume of Umbria Saffron, so called red gold, has been produced in Umbria for centuries; in the famous poem " De Croci Culti", Pierfrancesco Giusto describes in detail the cultural practice of the ancient zaffarame. At that time the flowers were precious for dyeing prestigious fabrics, thanks to the typical yellowish colour, derived from the pistil.
The price is proportional not just to the raw material, but especially to the painstakin and detailed work carried out to obtain the final product. Each gram of saffron is made of about 200 stigmas, harvested in the short time of blossoming in the first hours of the day, taken at the moment that the flowers open, to avoid harming the plant. After its careful collection, the saffron is either naturally dried or heat-dried to a powdery consistency. Saffronn an excellent traditional product of the Umbria Region In recent years in Umbria there has been renewed interest in this cultivation, and it has been added to the traditional gastronomic productive activities. There are several consortiums and associations of producers active in the region, carrying on the tradition of cultivation. Saffron to love This aromatic spice has symbolized love in all its forms since ancient times: the Greek myth narrates Crocos and Smilace's story. The mortal Crocos, who loved the nymph Smilace, beautiful and young forever, was turned into the saffron plant and she in the rough smilax. The god Hermes used this spice to reawaken the amorous desire of tired couples, thanks to its famous aphrodiasiac powers. Saffron adds perfume and colour in surprisingly versatile ways; from first courses to meat, combined with vegetables, cheese, desserts and liqueurs, it adds a golden touch to your dishes. Colorful and delicate, a small jar of saffron is a thoughtful gift for wedding guests or to take back home.