Sardinian Saffron PDO

Sardinian Saffron PDO

»» Italian name: Zafferano di Sardegna DOP

Quality Food Products Italiano


The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) is given to Sardinian saffron dried saffron threads or wires coming from the cultivations of Crocus sativus L. satisfying the conditions and requirements set out in product specification.

Sardinian saffron, Iridacee geophytes, perennial, is a herbaceous plant, about 15 cm high, formed by an underground system (bulb-tuber), leaves and flowers with the following characteristics:

• bulbo-tubers - tunicates form subovoidale, compressed the base, conical-round and flattened at apex, fleshy, white internally, tunics covered with reticulate fiber thin brown, elongated to wrap up the flowering stem forms of membranous sheaths.
  The weight ranges from 0.5 to 25 grams, the height from 1 to 5 cm and the width between 0.5 and 4 cm.
• leaves narrow, linear, elongated, deep green, wrapped in a white spathe consisting of 3-4 layers of robes.
  The margin is entire and papillose with just a development of 60-70 cm. long and an average width of between 2-3 mm.
  There are number of 3-7.
• perigonium bell shaped, purplish with darker streaks, tubular form of dilated fauces to the top from which emerge six tepals (three indoor and three outdoor) red purple and length between 4 and 5.6 cm, are mostly solitary or in pairs or three, rarely five, each wrapped in 1 or 2 Spata.
• stigmas whole, trifid scarlet red, are in number three, with a length between 1.4 and 4.8 cm and weighs between 0.02 and 0.055 g, protruding from laciniae perigoniali.

Saffron Sardinian PDO for placing on the market must be classified as saffron or wire: and have the following characteristics: bright red the contents of crocin, intense aroma arising from the content and flavor of safranal arising from the content of picrocrocina .
Must also be free from any form of sophistication or adulteration.
The production area of Saffron Sardinian PDO includes the municipalities of San Gavino Monreale, Turri and Villanovafranca in the Province of Medio Campidano.

Text taken from:
Production Specifications