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Sardinian towns and cities,
especially those along the coast, have a rich tradition of fish and sea food while inland towns
and cities are known for game and farm produce. Over the centuries the mixing of these
traditions has evolved into a unique gastronomic experience. Olbia, Stintino, Castelsardo,
Alghero, Bosa and Oristano are some of towns where one can try this cuisine. Cagliari is one
of Italy's main fishing ports and it is not surprising that its gastronomic traditions are based on
sea food and fish.
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As mentioned above, the mixing of
game and farm produce (which are the bases of the inland cuisine) and the traditions of the
coastal towns (which are based on fish and sea food) result in a combination of tastes, and
cooking styles that excite both the palate and the imagination. Two examples of this cuisine are
the fresh vegetable soup with small pieces of bass and 'palamita' from Alghero and pan baked
fish and potatoes from Alghero, Portotorres and Stintino.
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The sea food from Olbia has a large
cult following especially the mussels that come from the ancient fish farms of the Gulf. They are
used in both soups and "pasta" dishes, either with tomato sauce or in "green" which means to
be cooked in olive oil, garlic and parsley. They are excellent grilled and as a stuffing for
pancakes.
The coast from Olbia to Santa Teresa di Gallura is famous for its shell fish. There is a large
fishing industry catching everything from lobster to squill, from "astici" to spider crab, from
prawns to scampi. The so called "faoni" crabs are fished in the sea beds around the
Archipelago di La Maddalena. As well as shellfish, sea anemone which are usually eaten fried,
and the highly prized "limoni di mare" (sea lemons) are fished along the coast of Gallura.
A common way to cook fish is to cover the fish in coarse sea salt and bake it in an oven which
preserves the original taste of the fish. Large sized fish can be cooked in white wine. The best
results are obtained by using "Vermentino di Gallura DOCG", which is a white, slightly aromatic
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