The different types of typical food in Sicily and Sardinia of Italy
SICILY AND SARDINIA
These two islands represent an unspoiled tradition of what is believed to
be the earliest Italian cuisine. The cuisine stems from many influences,
especially the early Greeks who conquered Sicily and the early Phoenicians
(Lebanese) who conquered Sardinia. It is a tradition dating back more than
2,000 years; this is the tradition of fine cuisine that touched the Romans
and all of the Roman world. But there is also a lengthy tradition of
poverty, of feuding peasants and landlords, of insularism and a proclivity
for traditional lifestyles.
Most notably, there is a difference in the personalities of the Sicilians
and the Sardinians, the former known for their explosive exuberance, the
latter similar to the Spaniards - quieter and more reserved.
SICILY
It is believed that the Saracens in the 800s C.E. introduced to Sicily a
taste for sophisticated sweets such as the cassata, cannoli, and the crisp
candied almonds thrown at the wedding couple for a "fruitful and sweet
life." So famed are Sicily's sweets that monasteries still compete with
treasured recipes of candies, confections, and ice creams.
Their varieties of white and crusty bread and rolls include an unleavened
bread that is enjoyed by dipping in olive oil and eating with saltfish.
San vito pizza, pizza dough topped with sardines and Caciocavallo cheese,
or scacciata, a type of Sicilian bread pie where two rounds of dough are
sandwiched with a filling of ham, anchovies, tomatoes, and seasonings,
then baked and served in wedges.
Fish of all kinds are important in the Sicilian diet: salt fish,
freshwater fish, seafood of all kinds, and especially tuna and sardines,
each of which may appear in pasta dishes such as pasta con sarde, a
layered pie of macaroni with a sardine sauce that includes fennel,
anchovies, pine nuts, and white raisins.
The list of Sicilian staples includes pasta and rice, fish of all types,
meats in the form of meatballs and sausages, and a good variety of
cheeses. Vegetables are important too: tomatoes, capers, olives, eggplant
(rnelanzane), zucchini, cauliflower, artichokes, and onions. Fennel,
oregano, mint, and sesame seeds highlight fresh natural flavors. Citrus
fruits, cactus fruits, and prickly pears, melons and fresh or dried figs
are special snacks or desserts in season. Grapes are enjoyed as a fresh
fruit and also in the production of fine wines including Marsala, the
richly sweet dessert wine used in making zabaglione; many fine white wines
including Corvo and Etna, as well as muscatel wines. Walnuts, almonds, and
hazelnuts are used in the many rich confections, cakes, and ice cream
desserts. The abundance of pasta and breads, fruits and vegetables as well
as cheese and wine make it no surprise that the typical country lunch is
usually one of sausages, bread, and cheese refreshed with local wine - a
fine Sicilian meal.
SARDINIA
Sardinian meals are heartier and more frequently use meats than do
Sicilian meals. Pit or spit-roasted pig, lamb or kid braised over the
smoking embers of natural woods add a special smokiness to the Sardinian
furria furria. Wild sheep, bears, many birds, wild boar, and hare are
usually prepared by boiling them first (to tenderize) with their innards,
then flavored by placing them in bags lined with myrtle leaves. Bread is
more of a staple here than pasta and two types include pan frattau and
carasau, thinly crisp and usually baked unleavened. Pecorino is Sardinia's
best-known cheese. Sardinia's wines are unusual: Vernaccia, a rich amber
wine redolent of orange blossoms and traditionally served with fish, and
especially Malvasia, more popularly known as Malmsey and said to have come
to Sardinia from Greece.