When the saffron is a party
Since 1963 and every last weekend of October ** (this year, from 25 to 27) **, the collection of the flower of this valuable species of violet flowers and reddish pistils is a cause for celebration in Consuegra, the town located in middle of the La Mancha plain, in the middle Don Quixote Route and the foothills of the characteristic Cerro Calderico , covered by his twelve windmills.
Consuegra Saffron Rose Festival It is a festival declared of Regional Tourist Interest. In it, some 15,000 locals and tourists celebrate their sign of identity: in Castilla la Mancha he concentrates the 90% of the national production of this “red gold” , named for its high price.
To obtain a kilo (which is around 5,000-6,000 euros), it is necessary to collect, peel and roast 250,000 flowers, in a completely traditional process.
Between October 25 and 27, Consuegra celebrates the Saffron Festival
And all to get your aromatic and coveted red strands, what are the flower pistil (called the saffron rose) and that serve, for a few days, to publicize the cultural essence of La Mancha through gastronomy, crafts, history and popular traditions.
The festival, which has evolved over these decades, has been able to adapt to changes until transform from an agricultural and livestock event or a purely touristic one that, fortunately, still exudes tradition.
When the saffron is a party
A complete program of activities brings together Consaburenses but also curious people who come from different parts of the country and even from other parts of the world: guided routes to discover the process of cultivation, peeling and roasting of saffron; quirky and colorful flower monda contests (local, regional and national in different age categories) ...
As well as tastings of typical dishes made with the spice ; an exhibition of agricultural and livestock machinery; a tractor driver contest, where local farmers demonstrate their skills driving a tractor; a craft and agri-food fair...
There is also space for a photography marathon ; mule plowing exhibitions; the launch of the Sancho Windmill for grinding or National Folklore Festival , always linked to the Saffron Rose Festival, which this year is already in its 57th edition.
Theatrical recreation of the saffron harvest in front of the Sancho windmill
And they are days of celebration, but also of memories and vindication, since the cultivation of saffron, coming from the Middle East and introduced in the High Middle Ages by the Arabs, has been carried out uninterruptedly in an artisanal way until today, perpetuating itself from generation to generation.
Although currently runs the risk of disappearing from the town : the exploitation of the fields has decreased considerably, especially since the 1980s, due to the low profitability of the product, which is causing the virtual extinction of the crop.
To remedy it, Municipality of Consuegra has sown 2 hectares of saffron , which have been ceded to families from Consabur with the aim of relaunching cultivation and recovering an old tradition in the form of a legacy that, from the outside, is seen only once a year.
There will also be tastings of typical dishes made with the spice