DIARY
Stories from the Cormoran
Sea, nature, food, traditions and the way of life of southern Sardinia. One read at a time.
La famiglia estesa: il fattore più umano della longevità sarda
Among the factors protecting Sardinian centenarians, the least discussed is also the most powerful: the role the community still gives to its elders.
La Sardegna come Blue Zone: cosa dice la ricerca sulla longevità
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, corbezzolo, abbardente: gli altri distillati sardi
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: il dolce che divide la Sardegna a metà
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: l’antenato dei vini rossi mediterranei
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: il bianco dell’estate mediterranea
Fresh, mineral, aromatic: Vermentino is the white wine that best tells the story of coastal Sardinia. Origin, styles, pairings.
Bottarga di Cabras: cos’è e perché è così preziosa
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.
Gli oli essenziali della Sardegna e perché finiscono nelle spa
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.
Il mirto: storia del liquore che è tutta un’isola
From berry to glass: how myrtle liqueur is made and why, within a century, it became the alcoholic symbol of Sardinia.
Myrtle, helichrysum, mastic, strawberry tree: the scents of the Mediterranean maquis
Four plants draw the scent of Sardinia: myrtle, helichrysum, mastic and strawberry tree. Knowing them means understanding the character of an island.