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Italian Cuisine: A Trip to the Island of Sardinia
By Troy Pentico
The island of Sardinia perhaps most quickly conjures up the idea of sardines.
A small island off of the western coast of Italy, it certainly incorporates
seafood in to much of its regional cuisine. However, Sardinia has such a rich
and various history that it bears little resemblance to the traditional idea of
Italian cooking. Like many other Italian regional cuisines, Sardinia¡¯s regional
taste is often a surprise for a palette that is expecting red sauce and
parmesan cheese to be the beginning and end of traditional Italian cooking.
While it is a region of Italy, Sardinia¡¯s history is shared with explorers of many
European nations, such as Greece, France, and Spain. This diverse history of
people shows in the traditions and culture of this isolated island destination.
While, being an island, seafood, especially shellfish, plays a large part in the
regional cuisine of Sardinia, very few Sardinian meals do not incorporate lamb,
a rich resource in the mountainous inland of the island of Sardinia. In addition
to the lamb¡¯s meat, a favorite of Sardinian chefs, very few meals are
complete without the company of sheep¡¯s milk and wild fennel. Stews and
roasts are popular choices for the people of Sardinia. Looking at any Sardinian
recipe, it is easy to see that the cuisine of this hilly island is a veritable stone
soup of the many different cultures that have passed through the island over
the years.
The seafood traditions of the Greek isles can be found in the mussel stews
and roasted lobster dishes that keep the island¡¯s fishermen busy. Malloreddus
is a Sardinian pasta that can be found in many stews and pasta dishes
accompanying chicken or rabbit basted in fennel or saffron. Malloreddus is a
grooved pasta that very much resembles gnocchi in taste and texture, and is
made of semolina flour and sometimes seasoned lightly with saffron, while
most gnocchi is made with potato.
Stews are very popular in the regional cuisine of Sardinia, and even meat and
poultry dishes are served in rich cooking sauces that could just as easily be
served as soups. For this reason, accompanying a Sardinian entr¨¦e with a
hearty crusted bread or a side of potatoes makes for a very filling
meal. Pasta, in the traditional sense is not as large a part of
Sardinian cooking as in other regions of Italy. The pastas of
Sardinia are more commonly associated with Middle Eastern
cuisine. Hearty grains and fusilli more commonly accompany the
dishes of Sardinian regional cuisine, as opposed the lasagna,
spaghetti or linguine that Americans more commonly associate with
Italian cooking.
Between the diverse history of Sardinia¡¯s people, from France to the
Middle East, and the various different landscapes and resources that can be
found throughout the island, it is hard to put Sardinian cuisine into one
category. One thing is for sure though, while you will find many different
types of food on the island of Sardinia, it is unlikely that you will find anything
like it anywhere else in the world.
About the Author
Visit The Tasty Chef for more great tips, techniques, and insights pertaining to cooking and recipes. http://www.tastychef.net
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