Coooking

Produce and food from Gallura

Gallura is full of local produce and typical meals with a unique flavour. Pasta, cheese, even desserts, there are so many traditional flavours to explore.

Typical Gallura cheese

One of the main cheese types that you have to try if you’re in the area or in any other part of Sardinia is Sardinian Pecorino. It’s a white, soft cheese with a flavour that depends on how seasoned it is. Sweet Sardinian Pecorino has a slight acidic taste, while pecorino that has been seasoned for at least 60 days has more of a spicy taste. Another typical cheese is Peretta, which takes its name from its peculiar pear shape (“pera” in Italian). This is a cheese made with cow’s milk, with a pulp that is white, compact, and very soft. The crust, on the other hand, is a pale straw colour. Its complete structure allows the Sardinian Peretta to be used to make other dishes delicious. It could also be served on a cutting board, so that its delicate flavour can be tasted in full.

Gallura wines

The wine that represents this region is the Vermentino di Gallura DOGC, that gets its name from the grape variety used, Vermentino. It’s a white wine. The climactic conditions of the area where the grapes grow grant them their particular aromatic and acidic taste.

Gallura distillates

Among the liquors we have Mirto, obtained from myrtle berries, which leaves a pleasantly bitter taste on one’s palate. The Filu e’ Ferru is a spirit with a particularly decisive and enveloping taste, made from distilling specifically chosen pomace. It is considered a fine spirit and it is excellent at the end of the meal.

Typical Gallura food

Among the main courses typical of the Gallura region we have Puglioni, ravioli full of ricotta cheese, and gallurian Chiusoni. ìThey go perfectly with sugo made of tomatoes and added Sardinian Pecorino.

Gallurian Chiusoni are similar to gnocchi, they are also great with tomato or sausage sugo, even beef sugo works with it. They are made with a grater that is used for this type of pasta, traditionally. Gallurian soup is another traditional dish, with a name derived from the varying layers used to make it. The dish is made with a sheep meat broth, a mix of cheeses including pecorino and typical Casizolu, and stale bread. Among the typical second courses you can’t not think about porcetto, milk-fed pig cooked on a spit. Porcetto from Gallura is made with a proper ritual where everything needs to be prepared paying attention to every detail.

Typical Gallura desserts

Among the typical desserts in Gallura there are Gallurian Amaretti, simple biscuits made with eggs, crushed almonds and sugar and cooked in the oven. Another type of biscuit from this region are the Gallurian papassini. These are also quite delicious, but with a more solid mixture. In fact, besides the crushed almonds, eggs and sugar, you prepare them with flour, raisins and butter. The so called pan’e saba, on the other hand, is made up of cooked grape must known as “saba”, hence the name. Almonds, nuts and raisins are then added to the dough. It is a leavened cake, so the result will be a loaf to cut like a ciambellone. Pan’e saba is typically prepared on Sundays in a family, but also during festivities such as Saint Anthony.

There are also desserts that are made during special festivities: gallurian formaggelle are prepared during Easter and acciuleddi are prepared during the Carnival. Formaggelle are full of ricotta and raisins, while acciuleddi are little sweets in the shape of small plaits with a dough of flour, lard, egg and sugar. This is then fried and served warm with honey or a dash of sugar on top.