Sardinia Cooking: A Jewel for Humanity

It's vacation time! My family and I decided to spend this warm summer in one of the places that represents the heart of Mediterranean cuisine: the wonderful Sardinia — more precisely in Cala Coticcio, a beautiful beach in the Maddalena archipelago.

Thanks to the many influences it has absorbed over time, and its varied territory, Sardinian cuisine changes from region to region: roasted meats, bread, cheese, seafood, and dishes rooted in shepherding, hunting, fishing and the gathering of wild herbs. I recommend you don't miss out on a cuisine that has become part of UNESCO's heritage — let me explain why.

By the sea

Tasting fisherman's cuisine

Staying at a seaside resort, I had the chance to sample many delicacies made from what local fishermen have brought to Sardinian tables since Roman times: the special sauce called "garum", made of vinegar, honey and mixed fish; "Fregula cun cociula" (fregula with clams); "Còcciulas e cotzas a sa schiscionera"; "Burrida a sa casteddaia", a dish made with catshark, vinegar and walnuts; "Cassòla", a soup of various fish, crustaceans and molluscs; "Aligusta a sa casteddaia" (lobster Cagliari-style); and "Spaghittus cun arrizzonis", spaghetti with sea urchins, also served with artichokes or wild asparagus. Octopus salad is a typical Cala Coticcio specialty.

From the sea to the land

The pastoral and peasant cuisine

Besides seafood, I was lucky enough to taste the shepherd's and farmer's food too. The further inland you go, the more the kitchen turns to products such as hard wheat semolina (Trigu saldu), hams and wild boar from areas like Villagrande and Talana, mushrooms, olives, and cheeses — Sardinian pecorino, fresh or aged, Casizolu fresh or roasted, and Frue or Frughe, a sheep's-milk cheese typical of the area.

For first courses, I recommend trying "Malloreddus" — durum wheat semolina dumplings traditionally flavored with saffron — if you pass through. The "culurgiones" are stuffed with ricotta and mint, or with a filling of potato, fresh cheese and mint. They're really good.

A pastoral classic

The porchetto: this famous dish

Who hasn't heard of it? This roast is a classic of Sardinian pastoral cooking. The porchetto, or porcetto — in Sardinian, procheddu or porcheddu — is made from a piglet of about 4-5 kg or twenty days old, cooked slowly on the skewer, grilled, and flavored after cooking with myrtle or rosemary.

This celebrated dish has been a true culinary tradition for hundreds of years: until the last 40-50 years, Sardinian porchetto was reserved for special occasions like Easter or Christmas, and for wealthy families — losing a piglet meant losing a resource, since an adult pig would yield much more food, from sausages to other cuts that could be eaten or sold at a higher price. Fortunately, it's now served to tourists too, and being a "tourist" myself, I got to taste it.

A local tradition

The carasau: a musical bread

I didn't imagine bread could be this crunchy, thin and tasty — and yet Sardinia gave it life. Carasau bread, also part of an ancient culinary tradition, is nicknamed "music paper", because eating it makes "noise" and "music" as you chew, and it ends up as thin as paper. The Sardinian name comes from the word carasare, meaning "to toast": during the carasadura, the bread goes back in the oven for a final bake that makes it crunchy.

I hope this short tour of Sardinian cuisine has been fun. But remember: a holiday isn't just about tasting good food, it's also about resting and having fun. From the beautiful beach of Cala Coticcio, I send you a big kiss, and I look forward to writing another interesting article.