In 1930, Antonio Taramelli, a renowned archaeologist and key figure in the rediscovery of Nuragic civilization, published a surprising article in the magazine L’Albergo in Italia: not about archaeology, but about Sardinian gastronomy. A lively and detailed text, now reissued by Sardus Paper, a publishing series that collects and comments on articles from the past dedicated to the history and culture of Sardinia, presenting them to the public with new interpretative keys.
The recovery of Taramelli's article is emblematic: it demonstrates how the culture of food was already perceived as a deep expression of the territory.
Taramelli lived in Sardinia for over thirty years, exploring not only with the eye of an archaeologist but also with the curiosity of a traveler. His writing, structured as a dialogue between a tourist and an elderly islander, is a pioneering food and wine guide, capable of capturing the most authentic soul of the island.
He passionately describes the mountain beans and potatoes, the acorn-fed pig, the moray eels of Carloforte and Oristano. He celebrates breads like carasau and moddi, pastas like fregolina and malloreddus, and denunciates, with a clear and still relevant analysis, the difficulties faced by shepherds in the dairy sector.
The chapter on wines is among the most passionate and interesting. Taramelli highlights the crisis caused by phylloxera and the "devilishness of chemistry" but exalts the tenacity of the Sardinians in replanting the vineyards on American rootstocks. He offers a wide and detailed overview: from the light wines of Gallura and Gerrei to the robust ones of Campidano, Terralba, and Ogliastra, compared to Barbera and Bordeaux.
And it tells how L’Oliena, "with a sweetness like strawberry", is fiercely guarded for special occasions.
Among dessert wines, Vernaccia di Oristano is the "chosen prince," almost more similar to cognac than to wine, followed by Malvasia, Girò, and Torbato from Alghero. Monica is defined as the "wine of lovers," while Cannonau, with its amaranth color, is celebrated as "maliardo" and "princely."
This is how Taramelli, with his multidisciplinary approach, offers us a deep and passionate look at a Sardinia that goes far beyond the nuraghi: a land to be discovered even at the table.
About “Gastronomia Sarda”, along with Retrogusti and its content editor Francesca Concas, we talked about it in an event that took place last September at the Biblioteca delle Oblate in Florence as part of the Estate Fiorentina events.
