- Food & Wine
Milanese risotto recipe
One of the most typical and well-known dishes in Milan
Today we offer a classic recipe: risotto alla milanese.
Modern risotto alla milanese comes from the earlier simplified version "riso col zafran"; only in the 1800s did the current recipe begin to be used: risotto with saffron and ox marrow.
Legend has it that the use of this spice began, in the mid-1500s, during the wedding lunch of the daughter of a glazier working on the stained glass windows of Milan Cathedral. The pistil of the flower was added in the preparations of the master glassmakers to obtain the typical golden yellow coloring and, perhaps as a joke, was included in the basic recipe. People liked this new combination so much that it spread throughout the territory.
Lovers of unique dishes follow the recipe that sees it served withossobuco.
This dish has also been given De. Co. (Denominazione Comunale) status, a label that helps food and wine tourism enthusiasts identify typical local products.