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Italian cuisine
Sardinia
a concise guide
for diners & travelers
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.
 One
is coastal cuisine, which is defined by a broad variety of seafood.
The
other is 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.
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