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Food on the Move Tips | Page 60 of 66

Italy

Pardulas: Sardinian Ricotta Pastries

Pardulas are small Sardinian pastries of pinched dough, filled with sheep's milk ricotta flavored with saffron and citrus zest and baked golden. Originally an Easter sweet that children were given on All Souls', they are baked in Sardinia all year round today - and the name and the filling change with every part of the island: in some places they are filled with fresh cheese, in others raisins go in too. What they are named after is still anybody's guess.

Italy

Crostata: The Italian Lattice Tart

Crostata is an Italian tart of crumbly pastry with a layer of jam or custard and a lattice of pastry strips on top. At home it's baked on Sundays, in a bar it's served with coffee, and in a bakery you buy it by weight. It is named after the crust, not the filling, and it appears under that name in 15th-century Italian recipe books. Its closest relative is the Austrian Linzer Torte.

Italy

Costedda: The Sardinian Focaccia Made Without Water

In Villasimius on the southeast coast of Sardinia they bake a focaccia whose dough never sees a drop of water - the juice of a kilo of crushed tomatoes takes its place. The second traditional version goes with stewed onion. Sa costedda is sold by weight, cut from large sheets, and outside this corner of the island you won't find it. For me, the contest between the tomato and the onion version had a clear winner.

Italy

Gueffus: Sardinian Almond Balls in Colorful Wrappers

Gueffus are Sardinian almond balls: ground almonds, sugar and lemon zest are simply cooked in a pot, rolled, coated in sugar, and each ball is twisted up in a colorful fringed wrapper like a sweet. They're made all over Sardinia under several names, and they belong at weddings, christenings and Christmas - and the legend about the battlements on the wrapper was invented by a novelist.

Italy

Mirto di Sardegna: The Sardinian Myrtle Berry Liqueur

Mirto di Sardegna is a Sardinian liqueur made from the berries of the common myrtle: the berries are picked in winter in the macchia, the dense Mediterranean scrub that covers half the island, steeped in alcohol for several weeks and sweetened with syrup; the result is around 30% ABV and is drunk ice-cold after a meal. Corsica and a few corners of mainland Italy know myrtle liqueur too, but only the Sardinian one carries the protected name - and it was made at home long before anyone started bottling it.