Saffron is an ingredient and spice derived from the saffron crocus that is used to give incredible flavour and colour to dishes and for medicinal purposes. While its origins are debated, Iran, Greece, and Mesopotamia all have claims to the world’s costliest spice by weight. Italian varieties have since become famous for their quality and there is even a Tuscan area of production in the lands around the beautiful Medieval walled town of San Gimignano. In fact, some of the ancient towers for which San Gimignano is known were built by families who partially made their fortune through San Gimignano saffron and saffron was even grown on some of those same rooftops!
Certainly, for the discerning foodie who books a villa in San Gimignano, purchasing a little of this local luxury spice to add into your culinary exploits back home is a must. It really is a perfect souvenir to bring back with you – small, easily transportable, precious, and immediately evocative of wonderful memories with its scent and flavour!
With origins in the city going back to the 1200s and accounts of its quality dating back to this same century, the PDO San Gimignano Saffron is sold in intact filaments, is an orange-red color, and boasts an extremely intense flavour. A costly and difficult production process, the saffron is often still entirely cultivated by hand – bulbs sorted manually, flowers picked early in the day, hulled, and then dried by the fire.
Awarded the PDO (or DOP, protected destination of origin, in English) status in 2004, San Gimignano Saffron is used in all sorts of local dishes and should definitely be sampled if you book a vacation rental in San Gimignano and are coming to eat the incredible dishes of the area. From mussels with saffron to saffron breads to saffron-flavoured desserts and ice-creams, there are all sorts of amazing saffron foods to enjoy in this part of Tuscany!
