Inside Sardinia: La Seada Sardinia’s Traditional Sweet

Sardinia is famous for many things: the number of nuraghe that dot the island, the earthy red cannonau wine, lightning storms that hit a little too close, and of course la seada. The little town that I live in, we call it la seada, and each town throughout the island will have its own distinct name and pronunciation for this sweet must-try dessert.

It’s a fresh cheese-filled pastry that is lightly fried then drizzled with local honey, or sugar, honey is the better choice, and seems to be the most traditional way served.

I watched a seminar in a lovely little town called Lunamatrona, and I learned how to make this traditional treat. Just look at the detail and tools used to create this local pastry! Such detail and artistry.

La Seada – Lunamatrona, Sardinia, Italy. Photo by: Jennifer Avventura

Not every seada will look like the ones pictured. I was lucky enough to meet an extremely talented woman whose sole purpose is detail and deliciousness in preparing everything Sardinian. She had these wooden stamps specifically tailored to meet her needs. She made la seada pictured, mine were unworthy of photography, but I tried and had a great time.

I am humbled. Thank you, dear Sardinia.

Do you emerge yourself in the traditional food culture of a place you travel to? I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below.

Safe travels. ❤️

Inside Sardinia: The Giants’ Tomb of Su Cuaddu’e Nixias

During Sardinia’s winter months when the maestrale wind outnumbers the sunny days, I like of take off to little unknown pockets of this vast island. I’m usually without a map, but not far from reach is a cellphone with gps, because here in the back mountains of Sardegna, any turn can take you to mysterious and often forgotten ancient monuments of the island, and I recently got lost here …

🔹The Giants’ Tomb of Su Cuaddu’e Nixias in Lunamatrona. Possibly the oldest tomb on the island. Circa 1700-1600 AC. These megalithic structures which were used as massive collective graves can be found all over the island of Sardinia, some are so massive that you feel so small, some tombs are just left in ruins and others feel like a porthole to another dimension.

Su Cuaddu’e Nixias, Lunamatrona, Sardegna, Italy

Su Cuaddu’e Nixias loosely translates to Nixias’ Horse. This tomb is fascinating by the presence of a hole at the center of the pillar. According to legend, the purpose of this hole was to tether horses. However, some scholars believe that the hole was created well after the Nuragic civilization. Leaving many to wonder the hole’s intended original purpose.

There are few, if any, written records from that time. What we have left are fragments of a strong and resilient civilization that domineered this island with their structures that still stand today, and this is what I find so mysteriously beautiful about this island in the Mediterranean.

Have you visited any of the archeological monuments here on the island?