Collect and taste the Saffron, the Abruzzese red gold

About this tour

This six-hour experience on the Navelli Plateau takes you through the complete saffron cycle—from dawn harvesting to the final tasting. You'll pick crocus flowers in the field, learn how thirteenth-century trade routes brought this spice to Abruzzo, then move indoors to extract and roast the delicate stigmas over charcoal. Finish with a full meal showcasing L'Aquila saffron across courses, paired with regional wines and local specialities.

Highlights

• Hand-pick saffron flowers at sunrise on Navelli Plateau
• Extract and roast stigmas over wood charcoal
• Taste L'Aquila saffron's culinary applications
• Multi-course meal built around harvested saffron
• Learn medieval trade history of the spice
• Pair with Abruzzese wines and regional produce

What to expect

You'll start before 8.30 am in the field, picking crocus flowers by hand—early morning is essential as blooms fade quickly. After a brief history lesson about how saffron arrived in Abruzzo via thirteenth-century trade, you move to a workhouse where you'll sit around a table to strip the red stigmas from flowers, a repetitive but meditative task. The stigmas then go onto wood charcoal for roasting, which develops their flavour. By early afternoon, you're tasting how chefs use this precious spice, followed by a proper meal where saffron features in appetisers through to dessert.

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