An icon made in Barbagia
Beyond the white sand and the turquoise crystal water,
in the centre of Sardinia there is a rock heart populated with proud and genuine people
who keep their own identity preserving the arts, traditions and recipes of the territory making them timeless.
Barbagia
a “blue zone” renowned all over the world for its centenarians, is the birth spot of this simple sweet with an unusual taste.
The Antica Fabbrica del Dolce
is located in Nuoro, the main town in Barbagia, next to the Nuraghe Tanca Manna, symbol of the vestiges of a millenary, magic and mysterious civilisation.
The Tradition
Deriving from an ancestral symbology telling about legends, magic and interactions with other civilisations, the sweets in Sardinia have never been simply food, they act as a mean of communication between men and gods, to call upon their kindness and good omen.
The Legend
“A girl driven by a star crossed the threshold of a cave where she saw a chest full of precious decorations. Suddenly the golden threads and the gems took the shape of sweets for the men. Tanit kept the secret of their making in the heart of the mountain. The girl took the treasury in the place of the feast, everybody tasted it and they were all bewitched…”
S’Arantzada
the typical sweet homemade by the women with orange peel, almonds and honey, given to the newlyweds as the symbol of a happy and lucky life, has represented for over two centuries the quality mark of the wedding reception.
Sa Torradura
During the baptisms it was given to the godfathers, the priest and the altar boys to honour “sa torradura”, the traditional restitution of the received gifts.
The choice of this produce became so frequent that “sa torradura” became synonymous of a specific size of oily paper on which the sticky sweet was disposed.
“S’Arantzada”
Literature and Poetry
Francesco Congiu Pes
«Oh which gentle scented treasure those slim golden chippings contain! …If one is ever allowed to once taste such sweetness, he should certainly state that ARANCIATA is the sweets gem, queen of the sweets. What a delicate aroma, what a beautiful flavour in those super slim golden chippings! »
From “The Aranciata”
Grazia Deledda
«The godfather is not obliged to any other expense, except for the little coin he gives to the woman who, after a while, carries a tray with two “papers” of arantzada. Other “papers” (one paper of arantzada is as much as a paper sheet can contain, two or three centimetres thick) are given to the godmother who also gives a small coin to the woman who carries the gift, and who gives back the tray full of wheat…»
From “Popular traditions from Nuoro”, 1894
Max Leopold Wagner
«in Sardinia there are many types of sweets… some locations benefit from a special fame for their sweets… Nuoro for the “aranciata” (sweet made of orange peel, almonds and honey)»
From “The rustic life of Sardinia reflected in the language”, 1921
Enrico Costa
«I would be for them a cruel bandit, ready to blackmail, and to quit for life the Oliena wine, the aranciata and the honey!»
From “In Autumn, Nuoro”, 1892
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