Italian regional cuisine
Sardinia

NEXT page - Sicily
Clickable Italian Cuisine MAP
Italian Cuisine - HOME PAGE
World Cuisine - HOME PAGE

Italy's most
distinctive cuisine

The cuisine of Sardinia is the most distinctive of Italy's regional cuisines, mainly due to the island's geographic isolation from Italy's mainland.

Fresh and simple

Sardinian cooks insist on fresh ingredients. And, their cooking style is less complex than in other regions, which suits Sardinian diners. They want their foods cooked relatively simple and straightforward so as not to overwhelm the food's natural flavor.

The two cuisines
of Sardinia

The cuisine of Sardinia can be divided into two cooking styles:

Coastal cuisine
Defined by a broad variety of seafood.
Inland cuisine
It encompasses undulating farmland, pristine woodlands and rugged mountains in Sardinia's interior. The inland cuisine is especially renowned for spit roasted meats. Wild mushrooms and game are also culinary stars.

For the best of each of the two Sardinian cuisines, eat their foods only within their respective geographical areas.

Famous specialties
of Sardina

Carta de musica

Literally, music paper. It's a thin, crisp, circular flatbread. Also called pane carasau by inlanders and pane fresa by coastal denizens.

Spit roasted meats

Traditionally a whole animal (often suckling pig, baby lamb and wild game) is cooked over aromatic herbs and wood charcoal.

Panada

Flaky pasta pies typically stuffed with minced meat or eel.

Pecorino Sardo

Sardinia's most famous ewe's milk cheese. Similar to (and sometimes sold abroad as) Pecorino Romano.

Malloreddus

Small gnocchi, normally served with a well seasoned tomato sauce.

Bottarga

Salted mullet or tuna roe is pressed into a firm mass, then thinly sliced. Eaten as an appetizer or used as a flavoring agent for main dishes.

Burrida

Sardinia's version of the mainland's Burrida fish stew.

Culingiones

Pouch shaped ravioli. Commonly stuffed with spinach and pecorino cheese.

Cannonau

Strong red wine. Good with roasted meats.

Mirtu liquor

A potent after dinner digestive made from myrtle berries.

Sardegna

In Italian, Sardinia is spelled Sardegna and pronounced sahr-DAY-nyuh.

Best city for gourmets

Cagliari is the top all around food city in Sardinia. Criteria include cooking, food markets, cooking ingredients, cooking schools, beverages, dining and restaurants. Alghero is the island's runner-up.

NEXT page - Sicily
Italian Cuisine - HOME PAGE
World Cuisine - HOME PAGE

Clickable Cuisine Map

Test
yourself

How many of these major
world cuisines do you know well?


Explore my
candid country, region
and other travel guides
Click links for tips & insights

©2009 HQP / Hillman Quality Publications