Food and wine tourism in Sardinia: three itineraries not to be missed
The typical cuisine focuses mainly on meat along with various types of pasta, cheeses and desserts
More and more Sicilians are choosing to spend their holidays away from their beloved land, yet they remain faithful to their island soul, which is why they choose Sardinia as their destination. But not only that, thanks also to the numerous sea routes between the two islands, moving from one coast to another has never been easier. What is certain is that we Italians can never give up good food and wine and Sardinia is perfect for experimenting with something new.
Although Sardinia is an island, it should be known that the typical cuisine focuses mainly on meat along with various types of pasta, cheeses and desserts. However, this does not exclude fish from the table, which is cooked mainly in the centers along the coast.
In addition, the wine sector is also thriving, in the island’s most famous barrels we find a white wine that not only goes perfectly with seafood, but also with meat dishes and typical cheeses.
Vermentino di Gallura
Vermentino, is the Sardinian white par excellence, has obtained the DOCG in Gallura, home of rocks smoothed by the wind and cork oaks where typical rural settlements, once used for transhumance, can still be found today.
In the municipality of Monti there is one of the most popular wineries which hosts the Vermentino festival in summer, and this explains why, especially in that period of the year, there is a wide choice of ferries to Sardinia departing mainly from Sicily. Once you arrive in Sardinia, a specialty not to be missed is the favata con lardo, a broad bean soup, sausage, lard, cabbage and fennel to combine with this wine with a delicate flavor.
Not far from here is Berchidda with the wine museum which, thanks to its modern approach, not only offers the possibility of tasting, but also offers an educational vineyard. Berchidda hosts, every year, the Time in Jazz review and it is also here that you can taste the Berchiddese soup made with bread, veal and sheep ragù, cheese and broth.
The lands of Tempio Pausania, among centuries-old woods and vineyards, boast a specific production of Moscato di Sardegna, often sparkling wine, and Nebbiolo.
From Alghero to the Logudoro hinterland
For the second itinerary we move to the western coasts of the island. In fact, in Alghero the dishes are typically based on fish; in this city of Catalan origins you can delight your palate with Catalan lobster.
In Sassari, the undisputed kings of the kitchen are snails, more precisely monzette, or dark-shelled snails. They are cooked in a pan or in a perforated pan, but in the surrounding area they can also be tried boiled and then fried.
From roast suckling pig in Barbagia to Olbia fish
The Sardinian national dish is definitely the porceddu, or roast suckling pig, in Nuoro you can find very strong but all genuine flavors. In this case, the suckling pig never exceeds 8 kg and is cooked on the rotisserie over a wood fire and is seasoned only with salt. The wine to go with this dish is Cannonau di Sardegna.
Towards the east, in Dorgali, it is a must to go to try the traditional carasau bread seasoned with cherry tomatoes and Sardinian pecorino. To round off this third and final itinerary, we go back to Olbia to savor the mussel dishes, perfect to taste with linguine.
Among the desserts of this itinerary we certainly cannot forget the tiliccas, sweets made with a very thin puff pastry in this area of Sardinia are stuffed with honey and almonds