Tradition at the table looks to the future
Recipes of the past and knowledge handed down for centuries, but Sardinian cuisine also smells of creativity and innovation
The starting point is curiosity: observing them, listening to them, mothers and grandmothers carefully choosing the ingredients, showing off their skills and performing almost ritual gestures, while patiently explaining the various steps in just a few words. Then comes the passion, the tenacity, the desire to experiment, starting by repeating what was learned and adding just the right amount of imagination. Sardinian traditional cuisine, with its distinctive local qualities providing unique sensations and flavours, takes on a new character in the third millennium: that given by the new generation of brave and talented chefs.
There are only two binding principles, namely respect for the patrimony of knowledge handed down from generation to generation and the local products. Solid, healthy foundations that have helped put several areas of Sardinia in the blue zone, the land of lively, active centenarians. As well as the inescapable typical restaurants, trattorias and farmhouses - foundations of the ‘historical’ dishes of local cuisine - there are the chefs, more or less young ones, often with a wealth of prestigious experience in kitchen teams throughout the world. Their challenge? Returning home to honour Sardinia in the world of excellent food, rethinking the culinary tradition of a unique land.
Sustainability, local products - grown in their own vegetable gardens or supplied by producers just around the corner -, rediscovering forgotten ingredients, particularly cereals, legumes and wild herbs, innovative cooking techniques, the evolution of forms and textures - such as tartare and finger food -, the influence of exotic cultures: these are the elements that characterise the nouvelle vague of Sardinian cuisine. It is a cuisine in which the concept of the customer has evolved, becoming no longer just a consumer of delicious dishes, but a guest pampered and accompanied through an experience that can excite and titillate all the senses.
The results? Every year, Sardinian restaurants are increasingly recognised, mentioned and included in the most prestigious international culinary guides, such as the Michelin Guide and the Gambero Rosso, and in specialised magazine articles all over the world. Such goals are also achieved by pizzerias, pastry shops, bakeries and ice cream parlours. Research and innovation also characterise the wineries, with the rediscovery of almost forgotten vines and the enhancement of wine varieties of the past, the production of liqueurs and spirits made from spontaneous herbs and fruits and the increasing number of craft breweries. Eating and drinking well go hand in hand and always find the right combinations and the best and sometimes daring ways of complimenting each other, resulting in unforgettable sensations to experience in every corner of the island.
