Pardule Campidanesi

PARDULAS

Undoubtedly none of the sweets elected as a symbol of Sardinia cannot miss the Pardulas, a delicious filling that is a real explosion of contrasting tastes. Their goodness has crossed both regional and national borders, a confectionery product therefore appreciated all over the world and part of the PAT (Sardinian Traditional Agri-Food Products).

The ancient identity of the Sardinian island is also expressed through these tray sweets, baked over the centuries by the meticulous work of the "druccere" teachers who continue to give us real treasures to cheer the palate. And in our ancient tradition a meal cannot mark its epilogue if sweets such as le Pardulas. 

The complexity of this dessert can also be understood better due to the different elaborations of the same based on the area of Sardinia where it is made: Pardule or Pardulas with Arrescottu if we are in the Campidano ed hanno come base la ricotta, Formaggelle o Ricottelle se invece stiamo nel Sassarese, oppure Casadinas_cc781905-5cde -3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_if we taste them in the Nuoro area and if they are prepared with il fresh sheep's cheese as a substitute for ricotta.

Different interpretations originating from a single  ancient recipe whose birth is lost in time, descending from the "placentas" of Greco-Roman origin, small puff pastry whose preparation and ingredients are even mentioned in Cato's "De Agri Cultura".

The etymology of the name Pardulas is not certain, some indicate the origin in the Latin word quadrula, or square, which describes its geometric shape while others, such as the poet/teacher at the University of Aristan who uses the pseudonym “The Gardener”, they see in partula, i.e. parturient, his genesis. At first glance this connection may seem strange, but in reality it is explained by associating the shape of the pregnant woman's belly with that of the Pardulas, generating the allegory of the soft dome that hides the most precious soul of Sardinia, which from there to little will come to light in that characteristic riot of fragrant flavors of saffron, lemon and orange that coexist perfectly with ricotta or cheese.

Literature has given us pages by important authors who have also spoken of the Pardulas in their narratives, and one of these is Antonio Gramsci who in one of the letters sent from prison to mother dreamed of reliving one of those lunches where the whole family gathered in harmony around “kulurzones e pardulas”. 

To the eye these sweets appear almost like a flower, a succulent little basket with the edges decorated like a doily, an effect created by the ancient, handed down gesture of pinching the dough in the four corners while cooking. The strong connotation with their own land, with their own traditions, is an undeniable quality of the Sardinian people and also the perpetuation after centuries of this recipe is yet another confirmation of the love for a sweet that has magically crossed the barriers of time._cc781905- 5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_