Saffron is a herbaceous plant native to the East, composed of an underground bulb from which leaves develop with floral stems at the base. In late summer the small purple flowers are collected from which the orange stigmas come out. The stigmas, which contain an oily and aromatic substance, are dried and pulverized: the powder obtained is an intense yellow color with a high coloring power. In the kitchen, saffron powder is used to perfume many Italian dishes (the most typical example is Milanese risotto).