The archetypal Milanese dish, risotto allo zafferano, gets its distinctive colour from saffron, the expensive spice once used by the city's craftsmen to give stained glass a golden tint. According to legend, the recipe was invented in the 16th century when a master glazier, working on the cathedral's monumental windows, added it to the risotto at his daughter's wedding.
The Milanese still have a Midas touch — a fifth of Italy's gross domestic product is produced in Lombardy, and in 2015 the region had seven of the top 10 districts in Italy by average income, according to data published by newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore.
Source: https://www.ft.com/
