Saffron Festival: A Romantic Journey to Castilla-La Mancha.

Since 1963, the last weekend of October has been the most exciting time of the year for Consuegra. This small town on the plains of La Mancha is brought to life by the small saffron flowers. 90% of the world's saffron is produced in Castilla-La Mancha, and the saffron here is known as the best in the world. The Saffron Festival (Fiesta de la Rosa del Azafrán) is a traditional festival with a history of over 60 years. The manual picking of saffron, the daily blooming of flowers, and the drying of saffron have created the unique cuisine, history, and traditional culture of this land. In the morning, the sun shines on the fields, and the purple flowers sway gently in the breeze. Locals call them "roses," but in fact, these beautiful flowers are saffron buds. Picking saffron is a delicate manual task, and this skill is usually passed down from generation to generation. During the festival, you can go into the fields and experience the sense of accomplishment of picking saffron flowers with your fingers. After the work in the fields is done, the villagers return home with baskets full of flowers and "peel" them at the table. This process seems simple, but it requires great patience and skill - extracting the tiny red filaments from each flower, which is the most precious part of saffron. The "flower peeling competition" during the festival is even more eye-catching, with skilled contestants peeling a whole pile of filaments in just a few minutes, which is amazing. Of course, the festival is more than just that. Walking through the streets of the town, you can see performers in traditional costumes everywhere, welcoming visitors from afar with the music and dance of La Mancha. There is also the old windmill "Sancho," which silently tells the history of this land with the sound of the wind. The mill inside the windmill is still working, and visitors can witness how the wheat grains are ground into fine flour, as if they were back in the past. The Saffron Festival is also a feast for the taste buds. The local cuisine and wine from La Mancha are full of local flavor. Saffron, as an important seasoning, gives the dishes a bright color and unique aroma, as if the soul of this land is infused into every delicious dish. Did you go to the Saffron Festival this year? If not, save it for next year! Pick a flower, take a touch of red, and feel the vitality of this land. The saffron here is not only a delicacy for the taste buds, but also a gift for the soul.