The red threads of saffron from the Crocus Sativus Linnaeus are said to be worth more by weight than gold. I’m not sure of the price of gold now but saffron costs about 500 euros per kilo. Luckily it takes only a few threads to give a wonderful flavour to paellas or even desserts. A group of people in Neffiès, including the owners of the village bar, have started to grow saffron crocuses at Les Roches Rouges, on a hill above the vineyards nearby. Each year at harvest time they organise walks through the vines and up to their fields, followed by lunch of paella cooked with their own saffron. They also sell the saffron – I bought some last year and have used it in paellas throughout the year.
I posted pictures of the crocuses growing in the field last year (the photos have been slightly distorted by their move from blogger to wordpress, I’m afraid). This year the weather wasn’t so good, as we’ve been suffering, or enjoying, much needed rain for the past two days, so the lunch was held in the village hall rather than out of doors. It was still a wonderful day and this year we were able to see the flowers being poured onto a long table for a group of people who knew what they’re doing to remove the red threads.
It’s the sort of work that must be done by hand. I liked this woman’s colour coordinated saffron coloured jacket and scarf!
And then it was time to serve and eat the paella:
There were three of these huge pans, for over a hundred people.
The dessert (which I forgot to photograph) was a poached pear with saffron cream custard and chocolate sauce. We drank local wines, of course, a white primeur (the new wine, only just ready to drink and made from grapes harvested at the end of the summer, like the better-known Beaujolais nouveau) for the apéritif and a good red with the food. Local eau de vie was offered with the coffee, but I can’t take anything as strong as that at lunch time!
Those shots of the crocus and the threads is really good, you know i have used saffron and talked about it but I did not know that the flower was that mauve colour.. fascinating. What a wonderful experience.. I guess I can’t grow them out here in the cold can I? c
Lovely that you are able to purchase this very local saffron for your own kitchen! I wish I had been at this event, especially for the new white wine.
I love using saffron, but it is so expensive. It’s not really the price that makes it special for me, but the effort made to obtain it and the wonderful qualities it brings to dishes. Just looked in the cupboard and I’ve none left! Looks like I’ll have to get some before I can make another paella. 🙂 Enjoyed reading this post! Thanks for sharing!
What a fantastic lunch. Real saffron is a wonderful luxury and I love the idea of the saffron custard.
How fantastic and that paella looks very exciting too!
Amazing experience to watch the process – you can understand why it´s so expensive! Your village is a whole lot smrter than ours – we only get plastic plates, your meal was very lovely and oh so elegant 🙂
We found a spot recently where saffron grows wild. Unfortunately we were a little late in the season, but will have to remember the spot for next year.