THE LAND OF A THOUSAND FLAVOURS
The easiest way to get to know a region is the discovery of its culinary tradition. In Sardinia, simplicity and taste go hand in hand, thanks to thousand-year old agriculture, sheep-farming, and fishing. Local produce, both fresh and prepared according to an ancestral knowledge, can be tasted in classic restaurants and trattorias, either in their traditional version or brilliantly modernized by great local chefs.
Surf or turf, always distictive and genuine
Durum wheat pastas, bread and spit-roasted meat, not to mention fish and shell-fish are the hearty ingredients of the local cookery, aiming at excellence to offer truly unique sensorial experiences. A new generation of chefs has succeeded in combining tradition and modern variations, thus making the Sardinian cuisine one of the most interesting in the Mediterranean sea.
Knowing hands and mild climate: the recipy for great wines
Vineyards and wineries are scattered all around the island. The strong personality of Sardinian wines is the sum of climate, soil and human care applied to the selection of vines, especially local ones. Southern Sardinia, sunny and caressed by sea breezes boasts plenty of excellent products, including elegant dessert wines such as Malvasia, Girò, Moscato and Nasco, as well as great white native grapes, like Nuragus, or Monica and Carignano del Sulcis, excellent red wines.
Sardinia, where man can live by bread alone
Bread is the Sardinian food par excellence. No wonder that the white and crounchy Civraxiu, the most widespread type of bread, owns its name to cibarium, the Latin word for food. More than 500 qualities of bread are baked in the island, some for daily consumption, some especially prepared on the occasion of religious festivals and other festivities throughout the year..
From the blue of the sea, the most striking flavours of sardinian cuisine.
In the many restaurants along the coast, making a choise à la carte is certainly not easy, given the host of tasty dishes which are usually on offer: burrida (dog fish marinated in a dressing of walnuts and vinegar); spaghetti ai ricci (with sea urchin roe) or with bottarga (a sprinkle of dried grey mullet roe); musciame (fillet of tuna fish); capunnada (a delicacy from the island of Carloforte- a salad of dried ship’s biscuit, tuna and tomatoes), sa fregula con cocciula (a thick stew of clams and tiny balls of semolina pasta rolled out by hand, similar to large-grain couscous). Our chef, true artists of cuisine, draw their inspiration from tradition, to offer both the great classic dishes but also innovative recipes, always based on fresh, seasonal ingredients, all strictly local.
Liqueurs and spirits
For sipping and to seal a great sensory experience: a small glass of lemon or myrtle liqueur, or a drop of strong pure eau de vie, at times flavoured with juniper berries, aniseed or wild fennel seeds, or one of the typical essences such as strawberry tree, basil or bay leaf.
Pasta and Rice
From selected flour come the traditional first course dishes, such as the traditional malloreddus dressed with tomato and fresh sausage sauce, with sprinkle of mature grated pecorino; the ravioli filled with either salted or mild ricotta, or the fregula made of dorum wheat semolina, with a clam sauce or with tomato sauce and grated cheese.
Spices and Flavourings
From nature come the basic ingredients of local cuisine: a pinch of bay leaf, juniper berries, rosemary, salvia, myrtle, saffron and wild fennel, creatively used to enhance the flavor of first and second courses, as well as to add a touch of flavor to sausages and olives and prepare the traditional herb teas.
Honey
From the patient labour of the bees comes the most natural sweetener: infinite combinations and many, many different flavours, all unique, and justly famous: asphodel, eucalyptus, chestnut, acacia, linden, and the unmistakable strong bitter taste of strawberry tree honey.
Fruit and Vegetables
From the orchards and market gardens comes the genuine freshness of the seasons: typical vegetables such as artichokes and wild asparagus, tasty broad beans, lentils, chick peas, peas and beans, not forgetting the flavoursome camona tomatoes from Pula, the peaches and strawberries of San Sperate and the citrus fruit of Muravera.
Salami and Cold Cuts
Starters to slice thinly and savour: perfumed hams and tasty sausages made from pork, boar, donkey or goat, salami products all made according to artisan method such as capocollo and sanguinaccio, and typical specialities such as lard salted, peppered, smoked and flavoured with juniper berries, rosemary or myrtle.
Wines
The sublime DOC nectars: reds like Carignano, Monica di Cagliari and Cannonau, to match with meat and cheeses, or whites like Nasco, Moscato, Malvasia di Cagliari and Nuragus, with almond pastries and dried fruit.
Oil and Olives
From the green gold come high quality and a unique flavour: olives to be savoured preserved in brine, or stuffed, dressed with garlic and parsley or ground to a tasty spread, as well as an intense, flavoursome oil to accompany sea food and meat dishes, add to sauces or use as a salad dressing.
