National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Ancient towns & culinary traditions Sardinia
Sardinia fits the bill for those in search of sun, sea, culture and cuisine. We visit Ozieri and Lanusei, two ancient towns honouring the island’s age-old traditions. Words: Kerry Walker
OZIERI
Staggering down a hillside in a jumble of fresco-painted houses, church spires and terracotta rooftops, Ozieri, in Sardinia’s northern Logudoro region, moves to its own relaxed beat. Famous island-wide, Su pane fine (fine bread) is found on most Sardinian tables, and none is more revered in Ozieri than spianata, a flat bread that’s long been popular with fishermen and farmers. Made with wheat semolina, yeast, water and salt, the bread pairs well with savoury soups, salads and roasted meats. Hand-kneading bread with extraordinary patience and skill, baker Paolo Becciu is rekindling Ozieri’s passion for ancient grains and recipes dating to Neolithic times. The bakery, L’Antico forno di Paolo Becciu, located in Ozieri’s historic centre, has a traditional oven that’s used for village festivals and parties.
LANUSEI
From its hilltop perch in Sardinia’s Ogliastra region, Lanusei surveys the island with candy-bright houses clambering up to the lavishly frescoed cathedral of Santa Maria Maddalena. Whether sipping a glass of Cannonau wine in a sleepy piazza or rambling around the countryside surrounded by holm oak forests and Nuragic ruins, visitors will discover a deeply traditional corner of the island little touched by tourism.
Drawing on generation-spanning recipes and age-old techniques, pasta-making here is an art form that expresses the island’s unique identity. Vito Arra is one pioneer who bucked the mass-produced pasta trend by launching home-spun Sapori d’Ogliastra. The emphasis is strongly on Sardinian pasta, with the star of the show being culurgionis, parcels pinched and pleated into crescents, stuffed with potato, mint and cheese.