Best Italian Spice Types
Sardinia's red gold, Zafferano di Sardegna refers to the dried threads plucked from the saffron flowers which are believed to have been introduced to the island thousands of years ago by the Phoenicians. Today, Sardinian saffron is produced in the province of Medio Campidano, namely the towns of San Gavino Monreale, Turri, and Villanovafranca, where it thrives in the mild Mediterranean climate.
It is particularly prized for its intense flavor and fragrance.
Named after the Tuscan town where it's been cultivated since the 1200s, San Gimignano saffron owes its exceptional purity, strong flavor and intense aroma to the pedoclimatic conditions of the designated production area and the mild Mediterranean climate in which these flowers thrive. Zafferano di San Gimignano, often called 'the red gold of Tuscany', was so precious that it was once even used as a currency and the whole medieval town of Gimignano was built on wealth from the saffron trade which peaked by the end of 13th century.
Today, the production of saffron in Gimignano is again on the rise and this exotic spice is widely used for flavoring all kinds of sweet and savory dishes. The spicy and somewhat bittersweet San Gimignano saffron is an essential ingredient of the famous risotto Milanese but it also goes particularly well with vegetables, fish and white meat.
Spontaneously grown along the coast of Calabria and traditionally produced throughout the region, Liquirizia di Calabria refers to Radice Fresca (fresh liquorice root), Radice Essiccata (dried liquorice root) or Estratto di Radice (liquorice root extract).
In fact, around 80% of Italy's production of liquorice comes from Calabria and its qualities are much prized all over the country. The flavor of Calabrian liquorice ranges from sweet, fruity to slightly astringent and bittersweet, while its aroma is intense and persistent.
Grown exclusively in the valley of Navelli located near the town of L'Aquila, at an altitude ranging from 350 to 1000 meters above sea level, in an area comprising of only 8 hectares of land, this variety of saffron was first introduced to the region of Abruzzo by a Dominican monk from Spain, in the late 14th century, during the Spanish inquisition. Zafferano dell'Aquila is considered to be a spice of premium quality because of its high safranal and crocin content.
It has a particularly pungent aroma and a quite an intense color.
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