Saffron tourism is the holiday of choice for a growing number of people fascinated by the small purple autumn crocus that grows in Italy. The trick is to catch the flower just before it opens in order to preserve the three to five orange-red stigmas that must be dried to obtain the precious spice that adds taste to many dishes including saffron risotto and ice cream. On the market, the dried product costs around 30 euro per gram.

If it is of quality one gram can be used to make at least 20 portions of risotto, while low-quality saffron will deliver between three and four portions at most. The harvest takes place between October and November and the bulbs have acclimatised well in the highland and inland areas, in the central Apennine Abruzzo region where L'Aquila saffron boasts Protected Designation of Origin quality label covering 13 municipalities, but also in southern Lazio, Tuscany and Sardinia.