Sardinia

Popularly called carta musica, due to its resemblance to an old music sheet parchment, pane carasau is a traditional Sardinian flatbread whose origins have been traced to the Nuragic Age, circa 1900-730 BCE. Because of its long storage life, pane carasau was once a staple food of Sardini... Read more

Widely known as Sardinian ravioli, culurgiònes are a typical dish of Ogliastra. These delicious handmade dumplings are shaped to resemble an ear of wheat, and they are traditionally filled with potatoes, pecorino cheese, lard, onions, garlic, and mint. Another common filling inclu... Read more

These deep-fried Sardinian pastries combine wheat or semolina dough with a slightly savory cheese filling. Sebadas are typically round and come filled with the sweet and aromatic young Pecorino Sardo cheese. Primarily a frugal and rustic dish, especially beloved by shepherds, sebadas wer... Read more

Spaghetti con la bottarga is a popular pasta dish from Sardinia, flavored with bottarga, a renowned, locally-produced cured mullet roe. For this simple, yet very delicious dish, cooked spaghetti are first shortly tossed in garlic-infused olive oil, then flavored with a mixture of pepper,... Read more

Fregola or fregula is a pasta variety from Sardinia, made with semolina flour and water. The dough is first rolled into very thick spaghetti, then cut to resemble enlarged couscous pieces, and it is finally toasted in the oven, which is why it has a slightly nutty flavo... Read more

Pane guttiau is a traditional flatbread originating from Sardinia. It's very similar to pane carasau, but guttiau is even thinner. The flatbread looks like thin leaves with long cracks, and it was originally made for shepherds who took it with them to the pastures because it keeps very well &ndas... Read more

Malloreddus alla Campidanese is a popular pasta dish from the Campidano plain. It is made with authentic local ingredients: malloreddus pasta, saffron, fresh sausages seasoned with fennel seeds, peeled tomatoes, and a topping of freshly grated Pecorino cheese. Like many other dishes of this regio... Read more

Roasting is one of the most common meat cooking methods in Sardinia, and su porcheddu, a roasted suckling pig, is a very popular local dish, often prepared for holidays or other special occasions. The pig must be just about 40 days old in order to ensure that the meat is young and tender. Before ... Read more

Spaghetti ai ricci di mare is a simple pasta dish consisting of spaghetti and sea urchins, technically sea urchin gonads that produce the roe. Since the urchin is delicate, it should be cooked shortly, in order to preserve its tender texture and flavors. Other elements in the sauce typically incl... Read more

This simple, round-shaped Sardinian dessert employs a combination of ground almonds and sugar to create a thick dough that is then shaped into small-sized balls. Often elevated with the addition of lemon zest or orange blossom, gueffus balls are traditionally rolled in icing sugar and are always ... Read more

Papassini are traditional cookies hailing from Sardinia. They were once mainly prepared for different festivities, particularly on All Saints Day and during Christmas, but they are now enjoyed and found all year round. The recipes vary across Sardinia, but most of them include flour, eggs, sugar,... Read more

Aranzada is a traditional Sardinian sweet made with candied orange peel and almonds. The preparation starts by cutting orange peel into thin strips, which are then cooked or soaked and then candied together with honey and almonds. The combination is then gently placed into paper cups. Aranzada wa... Read more

This hard cooked cheese is made with whole milk from pasture-grazed sheep, and has a particularly salty and slightly piquant flavor. Aged for at least 5 months, Pecorino Romano makes an excellent table cheese, particularly when combined with fresh vegetables and fruit, but after eight months of a... Read more

Produced exclusively on the island of Sardinia, Pecorino Sardo is a semi-cooked, hard cheese made with whole milk from the pasture-grazing Sarda sheep. This breed is indigenous to Sardinia, raised throughout Italy and considered to be among the best domestic breeds for milk production. H... Read more

Produced only on the Italian island of Sardinia, where the traditions of sheep farming and cheesemaking can be traced back to 1000 BCE, Fiore Sardo is a hard cheese made from whole sheep’s milk from local breeds. After six months of aging, Fiore Sardo develops its distinctive punge... Read more

Malloreddus is a gnocchi-shaped pasta variety from the Italian island of Sardinia. Due to their dumpling-like shape, they are also called gnocchetti Sardi, meaning little Sardinian gnocchi. Made with durum wheat flour, water, salt, and a pinch of ground saffron, mallore... Read more

IT IS ILLEGAL TO SELL AND CONSUME THIS CHEESE DUE TO HEALTH RISKS. Casu marzu is a controversial Italian sheep’s milk cheese originating from Sardinia. The cheese is derived from the Pecorino family of cheeses and has a soft-ripened texture with a natural rind. In English,... Read more

Fregula is a variety of Italian pasta made with semolina flour and water. It is a specialty of Sardinia, where the pasta is rolled into small balls and then toasted in the oven so that it develops a slightly nutty flavor. This pasta variety is traditionally paired with tomato sauce and c... Read more

Produced on Sicily and Sardinia, Primo sale is an Italian cheese made from sheep's milk. Its texture is crunchy, with irregular eyes, while the aromas are pungent and the flavors are herbaceous, slightly tangy, and milky. It is believed that primo sale was mentioned in Homer's Odysseus a... Read more

Bottarga di muggine or mullet roe is one of the most renowned Sardinian foods. To prepare this delicacy, roe pouches of Mugil Cephalus, or flathead grey mullet, are first cleaned, cured in sea salt, pressed, then dried. The result is a delicacy with a salty flavor and a... Read more

Bottarga di tonno, or tuna fish roe, is a cured delicacy from the Italian region of Sardinia. Made with salted, pressed, and dried tuna fish roe, bottarga di tonno used to be considered a poor man’s food, but nowadays it is a luxurious treat, often referred to as the gold of Sa... Read more

This Sardinian extra virgin olive oil of is obtained from the Bosana, Tonda di Cagliari, Nera di Villacidro and Semidana olive varieties and produced across the entire island of Sardinia. It is green to yellow in color, and has a strong aroma and taste with pro... Read more

This braided, ring-shaped pasta variety is prepared only in the western Sardinian village of Morgongiori. When plaited, lorighittas are left in baskets to dry, and then they can be cooked and paired with various sauces. The first written reference of lorighittas dates back to the 16th ce... Read more

Casu axedu is an Italian cheese hailing from Sardinia. The cheese is made from sheep's or goat's milk. After the curd has been shaped, it's often left to drain for 2 days before it's placed into brine, where it can stay conserved for a long time. The process turns the soft and sweet chee... Read more

Vermentino is a white grape variety predominantly grown in several Mediterranean wine regions, especially in Northern Italy and Sardinia. It is particularly known for producing crisp, aromatic white wines. Vermentino wines are known for their vibrant acidity and crispness. They often exhibit arom... Read more

This robust red wine is produced in Sardinia from a special, thick-skinned Cannonau grape variety, also known as Garnacha or Grenache. The wine is low in acidity and tannins, with herbal and spicy notes and aromas of dark fruit, such as cherries and raspberries, chocolate, coffee, and licorice. I... Read more

Vermentino di Gallura is an Italian appellation located in the historical Sardinian region of Gallura. The official production area includes twenty-three municipalities that were mostly located in the former region Olbia-Tempio—which is now a part of the larger province of Sassari.... Read more

Cagnulari is a red grape variety from Sardinia. Although it has been suggested that the grape is identical to Bovale Sardo, it is possible that the two varieties are only closely related. This relationship also indicates that Cagnulari could have Spanish origins. In Sardinia, it is mostl... Read more

Vernaccia di Oristano is a type of oxidized wine that hails from Sardinia. It is made with the eponymous grape variety, and it is matured in barrels that are not completely filled, which allows a layer of flor yeast to form on top. This method is similar to the one applied in the product... Read more

Zedda Piras is a myrtle liqueur that is produced on Sardinia. The exact recipe is not known, but small myrtle berries that grow wild across the island are the main ingredient. They are macerated in alcohol, and the macerate is then sweetened, filtered, and bottled. The liqueur is rich an... Read more

Nuragus di Cagliari is an Italian appellation located on Sardinia. The wines are made with the local Nuragus grape that has to make at least 85% of the blend. Nuragus is a fertile grape and one of the most common varieties on Sardinia. The wines coming from Nuragus di Cagliari are believ... Read more

Produced from Vermentino grapes, Vermentino di Sardegna is a dry, crisp wine native to Sardinia. Characterized by their light skin and yellow color, the grapes provide the wine with a light body and typical amber color. It is a complex wine that has a herbal flavor with subtle aromas of ... Read more

Liquore di mirto is a sweet liqueur typical for Sardinia, though it also found in other parts of southern Italy. It is usually made by macerating red myrtle berries (mirto rosso), sometimes with added myrtle leaves, in alcohol. The berries are usually macerated for several weeks... Read more

Semidano is a native Sardinian white grape variety. The grape has ancient origins, and though it was once quite common, it became a rarity after phylloxera destroyed most of its plantings. It was mostly replaced by more resistant and productive Nuragus. Semidano is now mostly planted aro... Read more

Pascale di Cagliari is a red grape variety from Italy with an uncertain origin. It is suggested that it might be native to Sardinia and that it could be related or identical to the Bonamico variety from central Italy. The grape can be used in varietals and blends, in which it adds color ... Read more

Monica is a red grape variety mainly cultivated on Sardinia. The grape has an unknown origin, but it is often suggested it was brought over from Spain. It is now found in Sardinia, where it is used in two regional appellations. Monica can be used for various styles, and though most wines... Read more