Sardinia

Sardinia is the second largest island of Italy, after Sicily, and it has a unique culture that blends influences from around the Mediterranean. It’s known for gorgeous beaches, rare bitter honey, wild individuality, and stunning ancient ruins.

The island is scattered with 7,000 nuraghe, Bronze Age settlements built of circular, interlocking stone structures. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the ancient nuraghe site near the town of Barumini dated from around 1500 BCE and was sophisticated for its time, with sewers, canals, and multi-story towers. Sardinia is also home to some incredible Roman ruins, such as the ancient city of Tharros. Once an important port city on the island’s western coast, it’s now a gorgeous archeological site to visit, where basalt stone foundations are dotted with wildflowers and native grasses.

Sardinia is especially suited to olive cultivation and oil production, with a temperate climate cooled by Mediterranean breezes. Research has found that Sardinia is one of the globe’s five Blue Zones, regions where people live the longest—10 times as many Sardinians live to the age of 100 as Americans. We can’t say it’s purely because of the olive oil, but it certainly doesn’t hurt! Sardinian olive oil's herbal, artichoke-like character is a testament to its nutrient-packed goodness.

Because of its location in the Mediterranean, Sardinia has been home to several civilizations over the centuries, from the Romans to the Vandals, Austrians, and Spanish. That melting pot nature led to its most famous food, fregola. Similar to North African couscous, the small grains of fregola are made by rolling semolina dough until it forms small beads. In Sardinia, these are dried and then toasted, giving fregola a unique, nutty flavor that’s all its own.

Bring a taste of Sardinia’s extraordinary culture to your home with our hand-picked selection of delicious products from this fascinating island.