Saffron is a precious spice of ancient origins, rich in benefits and purposes. Phoenicians already in the VI century BC marketed it via their extensive trade paths, although it was used in the treatment of melancholy and as a fabric dye. Wereas  the Arabs, by their trading all over the then known world, made it famous as a cooking ingredient. Nowadays, saffron has a preminent role in the International Cuisine, ranging from the Spanish paella to the Indonesian curry, through the different culinary traditions of every country.

The most iconic Italian recipe with saffron is the renowned milanese risotto. Legend has it that in 1574 in Milan, at the Fabbrica del Duomo - the cathedral construction site - worked an apprentice glass-maker nicknamed Saffron for its habit to mix this spice in every colour in order to brighten it. His master always made fun of him saying that sooner or later the boy would add saffron even to their food. Said and done, when the foreman's daughter got married, Saffron in secret mixed his spice to the rice with butter of the banquet, nobody knows whether as a joke or as a gift. Anyway, the result was such a success that the milanese risotto became a foundation of the Italian cuisine.