Sanremo, a sardenaira festival

Sardenaira:  origins, declinations and wine matching of Sanremo’s iconic street food, a gem of Mediterranean cuisine

Sardenaira from Sanremo

Sardenaira is Sanremo’s iconic street food, a must to be enjoyed as you walk - your nose up in the air – gazing at the beauties of the historical centre (the Pigna district unveils amazing views), or at the deep blue of the sea (the horizons along the Area24 are infinite).

Sardenaira is the protagonist of a De.Co. (i.e. Denominazione Comunale) issued by the Municipality of Sanremo - the resolution adopted by the city council protects and rules the recipe and the preparation.

The origins of sardenaira

I do not share the point of view of those who consider sardenaira, or piscialandrea, as the progenitor of Neapolitan pizza. Most dough types, once unleavened, date back in time to the age of the Fertile Crescent (and then North Western Africa), the historical crossroads of Mediterranean food. Ancient Greece made use of these edible dishes, the forerunners of pita bread – think about Sardinian pan guttiau, too.

Sardines, anchovies, garlic (unpeeled in sardenaira), onions, olives (mostly black), aromatic herbs (especially oregano), probably capers and cheese (sheep’s milk) decorated the ancestors of flat breads – tomatoes were waiting in the New World…

I am quite sure that admiral Andrea Doria was more than a clever diplomat – probably he was a gourmet, as well - documents give evidence of the monthly budget of a cook of his, Maria, an expert in savoury pies and focacce. However, I link the term piscialandrea not to the Admiral, but to Provençal pissaladière (Nice, Antibes…), and the French term pissala(t) to Catalan peis salat (i.e. salted fish). At the same time I do think that sardenaira relates to sardines, macerated and then pound into the mortar into m achetto, the Ligurian sauce reminiscent of ancient Roman garum and to colatura di alici di Cetara (SA): personal recipes of this long preservable paste were once treasured by local housewives. Through time, anchovies (less bitter and pungent) took the place of sardines.

A myriad names and variations

This preparation boasts a myriad names and variations throughout the Ponente ligure: sardenaira in Sanremo, Taggia (also fügassa), Badalucco (sardenaia, alla baucogna), sometimes sardenaria, sardenara, sardenea…

Wine matching goes local

The ideal matching of this ancient Friday must is DOC Riviera ligure di ponente Vermentino; if tomato stars in, rosé is preferable, e.g. DOC Pornassio Sciac-trà, the Ligurian declination of the dolcetto variety. Whichever the borgo and/or eating joint, always pick treats made with EVO, the one and only condiment.

My English abstract of the article by Umberto Curti as published on Liguria Food

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