DIARY
Stories from the Cormoran
Sea, nature, food, traditions and the way of life of southern Sardinia. One read at a time.
S’accoglienza: cosa significa davvero “ospitalità” in Sardegna
Sardinian hospitality is a code of conduct. Not commercial courtesy: a deeply rooted cultural and moral obligation. Here is how it works.
The slow pace of the Sardinians: a philosophy of life, not a tourist cliché
Sardinians are not slow out of laziness: they have a different relationship with time. Where it comes from and how it shows in everyday life.
The extended family: the most human factor in Sardinian longevity
Among the factors protecting Sardinian centenarians, the least discussed is also the most powerful: the role the community still gives to its elders.
Sardinia as a Blue Zone: what research says about longevity
Only five regions in the world have an exceptional share of centenarians. Sardinia is one of them. What researchers found and what it can teach us.
The Mediterranean diet: how people really eat in southern Sardinia
The Mediterranean diet is UNESCO heritage. In southern Sardinia its most authentic version is still lived: local ingredients, slow times, measured portions.
Filu ’e ferru, strawberry tree spirit, abbardente: Sardinia’s other spirits
Oltre al mirto, la Sardegna ha una ricca cultura di distillati: filu ’e ferru, abbardente, liquore di corbezzolo, finocchietto. Piccola guida ai “fine cena” sardi.
Seadas: the dessert that splits Sardinia in two
Thin pastry, fresh cheese, honey. Seadas are the Sardinian dessert par excellence. Why there are two schools (seadas vs sebadas) and how to recognise a good one.
Cannonau: the ancestor of Mediterranean red wines
Record polyphenols, millennia-old origins, full character: Cannonau is Sardinia's great red. Also linked to the longevity of the Sardinian Blue Zone.
Vermentino di Sardegna: the white wine of the Mediterranean summer
Fresh, mineral, aromatic: Vermentino is the white wine that best tells the story of coastal Sardinia. Origin, styles, pairings.
Cabras bottarga: what it is and why it is so prized
La bottarga di muggine è il “caviale di Sardegna”. Dietro il suo prezzo c’è una filiera antica, un ecosistema unico e una lavorazione ancora in gran parte manuale.
Pane carasau: from transhumance to the contemporary table
Crisp, thin, amber: pane carasau is the shepherds' bread that has become a cult object of contemporary cooking. History and current uses.
Fregola: la “cous cous” sarda
Hand-rolled toasted semolina pearls, cooked in fish broth or with tomato. Fregola is one of the oldest pasta shapes in the Mediterranean.
Culurgiones: storia, simbologia e il “pizzico” perfetto
Culurgiones are the symbol dish of Ogliastra: ear-of-wheat ravioli, closed by hand one by one. Behind that pinch lies a whole culture.
Sardinia’s essential oils and why they end up in spas
Helichrysum, myrtle, mastic, juniper: Sardinia is one of the most prized territories in Europe for distilling essential oils. Why you find them in so many spas.
The Mediterranean maquis explained in 10 plants
A small catalogue to learn to recognise the ten most typical plants of the Sardinian maquis during a walk by the sea.