A Feast for All the Senses

Sardinia is a paradise for food lovers: the island’s Mediterranean cuisine draws on centuries-old traditions based on fresh, local ingredients and a love of shared meals. Typical Sardinian dishes include Porceddu, the slow-roasted suckling pig cooked on a spit, as well as numerous varieties of stuffed pastries. Don’t miss the traditional Sardinian bread: the paper-thin Pane Carasau is crispy, slightly salty, and the perfect companion to cheese, olives, and wine.

A stroll through the local fruit and vegetable markets is a feast for the senses. From a distance, the colors beckon: bright red tomatoes, yellow-orange-red peaches, nectarines and apricots, dark purple figs, grapes and eggplants, green and yellow melons, and zucchini. Add to that the scent of fresh herbs such as basil and wild fennel, with its distinctive, slightly anise-like aroma. The vendors offer their goods with warmth and hospitality, often inviting you to taste: a sweet grape, a juicy tomato, a piece of flavorful Pecorino cheese, or a slice of savory, air-dried Salsiccia. Shopping here becomes a full sensory experience – sight, smell, taste, touch, and not least hearing, as the conversations and lively bustle are an integral part of it.

Whether at a fruit and vegetable stall, a small village restaurant (trattoria), a local cheese dairy or enjoying a glass of wine with a view of the sea, eating and drinking in Sardinia is always a celebration of culture and the joy of living.

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Breakfast

Anyone traveling in Sardinia will quickly notice: breakfast here tends to be small and sweet. Many Sardinians actually start the day with cookies (biscotti) or sweet pastries (dolci). For some of us, this might seem almost too “light”, but in Sardinia, it’s an everyday habit. And it’s worth mentioning: the cookies in Sardinia are so delicious that we ended up eating them daily – not just for breakfast, but also as little treats throughout the day…

Particularly popular are cornetti, the Italian version of croissants. They are often filled, for example with jam, chocolate, pistachio or vanilla cream. If you order a cornetto e caffè, you get this classic combination, which many Italians prefer in the morning. On Sardinia, you might also come across the term brioche. This usually refers to sweet pastry as well – either a cornetto or another type of yeast-based pastry.

Coffee accompanies these sweet treats – an espresso or cappuccino is perfect for starting a sunny day on the island.

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Cookies & Pastries

Cookies and pastries are very typical in Sardinia, enjoyed both at breakfast and on festive occasions.

Traditional Sardinian pastries come in a wide variety: Amaretti (almond cookies), Papassini (with nuts and dried fruits, often eaten at All Saints’ Day), Gueffus (almond confections) and Formaggelle (sweet, lemony tarts filled with fresh sheep’s milk or ricotta cheese, also called Pardulas in the Sardinian dialect, typical for Easter). Many of these treats show Arab or Spanish influences and are closely tied to the seasons or local celebrations.

Anyone wishing to discover these delicious specialties should definitely visit a panetteria-pasticceria – the typical bakery-confectioneries found in almost every town. There, alongside crusty bread, you’ll find the full range of biscotti, dolci and delicate cornetti.

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Sardinian Pasta Specialties

Fregola (or Fregula) are small, pearl-shaped pasta made from semolina and lightly toasted in the oven. This gives them their distinctive, slightly nutty flavor. A classic way to enjoy them is in a rich broth with clams – simple yet wonderfully aromatic.

Among the island’s best-known pasta dishes are Ravioli Ricotta e Spinaci. Filled with fresh ricotta and spinach, they are most often served with butter and sage or a delicate tomato sauce.

Another specialty are the beautifully braided Culurgiones. While they may resemble ravioli, their traditional filling of potatoes, mint and Pecorino sets them apart. Just as striking is their elaborate closure, resembling an ear of wheat or a braid. Each region – sometimes even each village – has its own unique variation. We tried Culurgiones in many different ways – purchased from a delicatessen or homemade, with thicker or thinner dough, and with slight variations in the filling. Sometimes served with sauce, sometimes simply sautéed in butter with fresh sage. Each time they tasted slightly different, but always delicious.

Seadas, also called Sebadas, are the sweet version of Sardinian stuffed pasta and a popular dessert. Filled with flavorful Pecorino cheese and a hint of lemon, they are fried and then drizzled with honey – a truly delightful combination!

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Pizza

Pizza – just like ice cream – really must be tried in Italy! It’s simply incomparable to the pizzas we’ve had in Germany or other countries. The Italians – and Sardinians included – just know how to do it! Every single pizza we tried was absolutely delicious.

We often wondered what makes it so special: the quality of the ingredients, the wonderfully tasty dough, always perfectly crisp – not too soft, not burnt, with flawless flavor – and then the wide variety of fresh toppings! Some combinations were truly creative, with flavors we had never tried before: swordfish with buffalo mozzarella, for example, or tuna with basil pesto.

Perhaps it’s also the cheerful, convivial atmosphere, the fragrant island air, or simply the locals’ love of food that makes the difference. Simply a culinary dream!

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Wine, Liqueur & Beer

Sardinia has a rich wine culture – enjoying a glass of wine with a meal is simply part of the experience. The fresh Vermentino, with its delicate citrus notes, pairs wonderfully with fish dishes or simply with bread, olives, and cheese. For those who prefer bolder flavors, the red Cannonau is a perfect choice; it is even considered a secret to the long life of the Sardinians. Meals are often rounded off with the aromatic herbal liqueur Mirto, made from myrtle berries.

Besides wine, we also discovered delicious craft beer on the island. Marduk Brewery in Irgoli produces various hand-selected brews that can be tasted at their own pub in Orosei.

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