PILLS OF LONG LIFE FROM SARDINIA, AND LIVE TO BE HUNDRED- pill n.2

After sipping a bit of the famous long life Elixir in our first pill, find new elements to it, sailing South! Immerse yourself in the beauty of the Sardinian sea and dream of an unforgettable holiday in a true paradise between wellness, relaxation and taste!

Head towards Villasimius to enter a fish lovers paradise, flavoured with inland ingredients, such as lemons, tomatoes, saffron, herbs typical of the Mediterranean brush and endemic fruits, giving each dish a unique, unrepeatable taste.

South Sardinian cuisine is, in fact, rich in Genoese and Catalan influences, based on raw materials made available by nature, mainly from the immense resource of the sea.

For sophisticated palates, taste the fish alternative. Try a plateau of fresh award winning oysters from Arbatax, Tortoli and Arborea with a glass of bubbles followed by fish crudités with local red prawns, scampi, swordfish and an aphrodisiac tuna tartare, garnished with local fresh Mediterranean lemons to splash, an explosion of flavours in your mouth!

Follow through the aperitif by setting the table for lunch with some typical bread!

Civraxiu bread, the most typical, is consumed daily throughout Central-Southern Sardinia. Made in different shapes and sizes, it is recognized by the unmistakable aroma of durum wheat semolina, the elastic and vaguely translucent crumb and the thick crust. Sometimes small, resembles a volcano with its dome shape and the characteristic cracks on the top; other times large, round and slightly flattened bread, with a homogeneous crust or one or more lateral splits, great with starters!

Welcome the starter par excellence in Cagliari, Sa Burrida, a tasty appetizer based on fish and nuts. Catfish is the king of the dish, resembling a small shark, very present in Sardinian sea. A dish with "poor" origins but currently served in highest end luxury restaurants for its refinement; discover all its variations, even if the recipes are jealously guarded by the fishermen of these areas. A fish perfect for stewing, with no bones, it is normally cooked with plenty of vinegar, walnuts, its own livers, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and parsley.

Carry on with another must, juicy local spiny lobster!

Different from its American or Caribbean cousin, Sardinian spiny lobster offers a unique experience with its mouth-watering flavour. Immersed from 15 to a 150 meters depth normally prefers rocky bottoms, to better hide from its predators. Sometimes also loves shallow waters, where it heats up in summer. Reaching up to 50 centimeters in length and 8 kilograms in weight, the small specimens are the finest and most succulent ones. Sardinian lobster is not red, the original colour is not the reddish that we all know and to which we associate it: actually purple, sometimes with white and yellow spots. Rare blue lobsters can be found too, one every 4 million, try to be the luckiest to spot it!

Spiny lobster is very nutritious, rich in protein and mineral salts, with a very substantial meat. Those with hard armor are less fatty and contain less cholesterol than the lean parts of pork and beef or white meats, great to be included without guilt in any diet! Delight yourself with the Campidanese version of it, boiled and seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice, or with bay leaf, parsley, onion, celery, carrots and white vinegar, a very simple but tasty way to flavour the precious meat, a fresh delicacy perfect in the summer!

Follow with a typical dish from Cagliari, a great first course: fregula cun cocciula (fregola with clams) cooked with garlic, olive oil and tomato sauce, simmered with white wine. Defined by someone as a variant of the couscous, according to others, it would instead be the original product of the invective of Sardinian women to make the most out of the seafaring vocation of the city of Cagliari. Certainly represents the ideal way to savour the beloved clams from the area of Santa Gilla pond.

The word fregula, indicates a type of pasta prepared with durum wheat semolina, an ingredient well rooted in traditional Sardinian cuisine. Semolina, inside a large container, is slowly sprayed with salted water, with a circular movement of the hand, the two ingredients are mixed until small balls of dough are obtained, then left to toast in the oven.  According to the stories and manuscripts the fregula was pictured on locals’ tables as early as the 10th century, a sea-flavoured recipe suitable for any occasion.

For meat based food lovers, Malloreddus alla Campidanese (Sardinian gnocchi) is a must: typical short pasta with an elongated shell shape, about 2 cm long. Made of wheat semolina and water, is normally seasoned with Campidanese sauce, made from gravy of tomato, grated Sardinian Pecorino cheese and chopped sausage.

An historical dish for the Island, almost mandatory on the most important occasions: parties, festivals and weddings, historically with the presence of the well renowned saffron of Sardinia PDO, growing in the area of ​​San Gavino Monreale, it is normally used for official engagement’s lunch at home!

To follow with the freshest fish ingredients from the Mediterranean, feel the seabreeze in a dish with cocciula and cozzas in schiscionera, by the beautiful sight of Nora’s Roman ruins!

A traditional and tasty portion of clams and mussels prepared with natural ingredients cooked in a pan with garlic, olive oil and parsley and sprinkled with breadcrumbs. The preparation first involves cooking the shellfish in a pan then passing them in another pan with the garlic, parsley and chopped tomatoes and sauté with a drizzle of oil. The secret of this delicacy lies in the addition of water released by the mussels, the white wine and the chili peppers to which the breadcrumbs are added. Usually served very hot with croutons or with home-made bread to perfectly savour the dish.