Gallura’s typical products belong to agrarian and rural traditions. In addition to cheeses and cold meats, the natural environment fosters honey production, especially cardoon honey and arbutus honey (also known as bitter honey): the former has a strong, more characteristic flavour; the latter stands out for its bitter taste and classic Sardinian scent.
Typical dishes include Gallura-style soup (‘suppa cuàta’ in Sardinian), a tasty rural dish with many variants prepared with stale bread, meat broth, and cheese. The area of Monte Acuto has its own version of this dish: Monte Acuto’s soup is prepared with slices of cow’s cheese, grated pecorino (sheep’s cheese), and sheep broth. Gallura-style chiusoni, too, are especially tasty: these cylindrical, irregular gnocchi are usually served with tomato sauce, pecorino cheese, and pork mince. Bruglioni, or puligioni, are a curious dish: these freshly-made dumplings are filled with ricotta cheese and, according to the traditional recipe, sugar. Meat recipes include several dishes: cordula is a speciality based on lamb entrails with an intense flavour; kid stew, with its tender meat and rich flavour, meets the taste of those who appreciate it; roasted suckling pig (‘lu pulceddu’) is the protagonist of Sardinian culinary tradition: it is particularly loved for the texture contrast between its tender interior and crisp exterior; roasted or baked lamb is seasoned with Mediterranean herbs; finally, game meat specialities include boar meet with sweet-and-sour sauce, hare, and partridge. You should also try Oschiri’s panadas, baked puff pastries traditionally filled with eel or pork meat cut into pieces: this dish is even the protagonist of a local festival.
Lastly, maccarones de manu nostra are another dish worth mentioning: these traditional, hand-made, small gnocchi are served with tomato sauce and grated cheese.