A small farm in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage hills, in Nizza Monferrato since 2015, Roberto Perfumo and his wife Claudia, a valuable supporter, have revived this ancient and precious cultivation of saffron.
As far back as the 16th century, the area was rich in valuable products: flax, hemp, grapes and cereals, and finally saffron, which was highly prized for its quality and produced for courts throughout Europe.
On a small family plot of land, about 1,000 square metres, where biodiversity reigns supreme, surrounded by hazelnut groves and arable land, saffron bulbs from Tuscany and Sardinia are planted in September. This is the most important and delicate moment, so important that we look to the sky, to the moon, which must be waxing, precious and indispensable for beautiful flowers.
When the first cold spells arrive, between October and November, the saffron flowers are harvested. While still closed, they are immediately taken to the processing laboratory. Here, they are cleaned, i.e. the stigmas are separated from the flower, a very delicate operation due to their rapid perishability. They are then dried, a process in which they lose over three quarters of their weight. At this point, the stigmas are ready to be stored in small glass containers, thus becoming the most expensive spice in the world and therefore also known as "red gold".
Rich in active ingredients and vitamins, saffron is an ally in various ways, such as preventing stress-related depression, regulating the digestive system, and acting as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
Versatile in the kitchen with its distinctive flavour, it goes naturally with rice, but also with pasta with courgettes, and is excellent in a savoury pie with peas and, to finish, a delicate saffron and almond cake and an enchanting panna cotta.
Roberto has obtained organic certification from the BioQualità di Guarene organisation and its category I, the highest rating.
Saffron can be purchased all year round at Roberto and Claudia's house in Fontanile, where you can also visit their Infernòt, a small cellar/pantry that was hand-dug into the tuff rock, where the farmers' supplies were stored.
Visits to the small saffron plot in Nizza during the flowering/harvest period between October and November are by appointment only.
