Italian gluttony

The good: Sardinian Agriturismos

Last night I tweeted: “Haven’t eaten in 24 hrs in preparation for tonight’s 13 course #Agriturismo dinner in T-1 hour”. In case you haven’t heard me speak of agriturismos before allow me to give you a brief overview.

For my Canadian counterparts it’s the equivalent of AYCE sushi at its extreme. It’s a 3-hr ordeal that consists of 13 courses (minimum) with unlimited wine and after dinner liquors. Here are a few things you need to know prior to going:

  • It consists of a rich variety of traditional Sardinian fare, which is all home-grown and homemade and is definitely something everyone should try at least once in their lifetime
  • It’s not for the faint of heart
  • It requires advanced preparation, hence the 24 hr starvation tactic
  • Due to the abundance of delicious meat products it’s not exactly vegetarian friendly. We happened to go to one that had a vegetarian (and gluten-free!) option but the real experience is fully appreciated by meat lovers
  • Typical dishes include:

Starters

-Various cheeses such as smoked Pecorino cheese and smoked ricotta cheese

-Various Sardinian sausages

-Zuppa Gallurese (a bread and cheese dish from the Gallura region of Sardinia…really yummy, extremely caloric)

First course

-Handmade ravioli (i.e. Ricotta ravioli with tomato and basil sauce)

-“Culurgione” pasta with tomato and basil sauce

-Sardinian gnocchetti with tomato and sausage sauce

Second course

-Porcetto (skewered suckling pig)

-Roast sausage

Vegetables

-Marinated vegetables in “pinzimonio” sauce

Dessert

-Seadas (A pastry filled with ricotta and drizzled with honey….SO GOOD!!!)

Honey coated seadas

-Coffee and various digestivos…MIRTO, LIMONCELLA, FIL’E FERRU

And so many other dishes that I know I’m forgetting…

Here are some tips for surviving an Agriturismo:

  • Dress in extremely comfortable and baggy clothing
  • Resist the temptation of over-indulging in every dish that’s served to you because you need to make sure you’ve got enough room for dessert..it’s a must have!!
  • Enjoy the meal and take it all in…it’s an unforgettable experience!!!

With that, I leave you now. Guess who’s going for her second Agriturismo dinner in T-1 hour? Yes, that’s right. Yours truly. That’s how much of a champ I am! Before I could only take one of those meals a year…now I can do it twice in a row!!!

A dopo,

Hazel