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Eating in Alghero
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Alghero is a fascinating town located in the northwest of the large Italian island of Sardinia. One of the most interesting things about Alghero is its dialect, which has little to do with the other Sardinian dialects, as it's a derivative of Catalan, a language that is now spoken in Spain in the region around Barcelona. One clearly senses the Spanish influence strolling through the historic center, punctuated by restaurants and trattorias whose menus feature the traditional products of this windswept part of the world.
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Alghero's cuisine is based on seafood, especially lobster, a much-valued ingredient of the local gastronomic tradition. But it would be a shame to only limit oneself to the seafood; the culinary selection of this sunny Sardinian city with its Spanish roots also includes all the island's agricultural products. Things like artichokes, tomatoes, suckling pig (porceddu) and ewe's milk cheese make a major contribution to local recipes. But despite this wealth of products, all the dishes are simple, thanks to the quality of the ingredients and their pure, sharp flavors.
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Lobster is frequently served very simply, just boiled and topped with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice. It can also be enjoyed in a salad and is excellent as the principal ingredient in pasta sauces made with garden-fresh tomatoes and used to top Spaghetti or Fettuccine.
So great is the local citizens' love of lobster, that they have devoted an annual gastronomic festival to this wonderful shellfish, called "L'Aragosta nella cucina algherese". Various local restaurants participate, offering a lobster-based menu, at lower prices than during the rest of the year, transforming the town into one big seafood restaurant.
It is not only the shellfish that merits special mention. The local gastronomic tradition features an entire range of seafood. Particular note should be given to the way it is cooked i.e. charcoal grilled; a method that preserves and brings out all the flavor, which is enhanced exclusively by the judicious use of aromatic herbs.
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SIMPLE AND SOPHISTICATED FLAVORS |
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The same herbs are also used to flavor meat and game dishes, grilled slowly over hot coals obtained from oak and strawberry tree wood and spiced with laurel and myrtle. Soups are also an important component of Alghero's cuisine and that of Sardinia in general; they are prepared with abundant hot stock (traditionally made from mutton) and poured over the traditional carasau bread, very thin and crisp, which has already been topped with tomatoes and pecorino (ewe's milk) cheese.
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When it comes to a worthy conclusion to an excellent lunch or dinner, the old center of Alghero offers a truly overwhelming selection, given the rich array of traditional Sardinian sweets that are available, everything from the delightful treats made from almond paste ("gueffos") to the traditional "seadas", ravioli stuffed with pecorino cheese, fried in boiling oil and served piping hot, topped with golden honey.
When it comes to wine, we have only two suggestions. The first is a white wine, the intoxicatingly aromatic Vermentino di Gallura, which should be served chilled and is perfect with all fish and white-meat dishes. When it comes to red wines, our choice is a lovely Cannonau, a full-bodied wine characterized by a high percentage of alcohol, excellent as an accompaniment to the traditional Sardinian roasts, beginning with charcoal-grilled suckling pig, a dish offered by many restaurants and farm holiday establishments in the province.
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 Al Tuguri
Via Maiorca, 113
07041 Alghero
Tel and fax: +39 079 976772
Internet site: www.altuguri.it
Closed: Sunday
Seating capacity: 24
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