Zafferano di Sardegna

Appearance & taste

Only the dried stigmas of the saffron are protected. They are bright red, which comes from the pigment crocin, have a very intense aroma due to safranal and a pronounced flavour due to the bitter substance picrocrocin. According to the specification, Sardinian saffron differs from other saffron in its high content of these three substances and thus in its high colouring and flavouring power. The specification sets limits for colouring power, bitterness and flavouring power. The saffron must not be adulterated in any way.

It is sold in packs of 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 or 5 g made of glass, terracotta, cork or light cardboard; only glass or paper is in direct contact with the saffron. The logo shows a stylised flower with six petals and stigmas stretched out to the sides, with “Zafferano di Sardegna” arched above it and “Denominazione di Origine Protetta” in a bar below.

Production

According to the specification, the producers intervene at every stage, from the careful selection of the planting material through cultivation to harvesting, cleaning, drying and storage. Before drying, the stigmas are moistened with very pure oil according to old tradition, a task that requires skilful fingers.

Until it is packed, the saffron is stored in tightly sealed containers of glass or steel that protect it from air and light. Cultivation, harvesting, processing and packing take place in the area so that the loose saffron is not spoiled by light and air during transport.

Origin & history

The growing area has a Mediterranean climate: rain falls in the mild autumn and winter, the summers are hot and dry, frost is very rare and snow the exception. The average temperature is 11.3 °C in winter and about 24 °C in summer. The soils are deep, fertile alluvial soils, sandy loam, permeable and with good water retention. A local saying says of the plant that it “fears the cold and seeks the warmth”.

According to the specification, it was probably the Phoenicians who brought saffron to Sardinia. Under Punic rule and in Roman-Byzantine times it was grown more widely and used above all for dyeing, for medicinal purposes and for decoration. The first evidence of its trade is provided by the port regulations of Cagliari of 1317, the “Breve Portus”, with a rule on the export of the stigmas. In the 19th century cultivation spread further; saffron was now also used for dyeing silk and cotton, in cooking and as a barter good. To this day it provides many families with additional income. The growing and processing techniques have been passed down from father to son over centuries.