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Sardinia surprises with its diverse culinary tastes—anything from superb seafood to world-class cheese and cold meats. But many tourists make the mistake of looking for typical Italian dishes like pizza, lasagna, or Parmesan cheese. Of course, that's not to say you won't find a decent pizzeria on the island. The truth is though, it just wouldn’t be an authentic Sardinian gastronomic experience.

So, how best to taste Sardinia? Click through this gallery of traditional foods typical of the island. Go on, eat like a local!

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In Sardinia, they take their cheese very seriously. The island has a huge variety of cheese, all uniquely prepared, aged, and made for every taste. And they're all delicious!

▲Literally meaning "rotten cheese," this is a sheep's milk cheese deliberately containing thousands of live maggots. Due to hygiene policy, it's actually illegal to sell this particular cheese, but it might be worth asking a local in the know where to buy it under the counter.

▲In Sardinia, there are two sheep for every inhabitant! Sheep's milk, therefore, is an important commodity, and big business. Pecorino cheese is made with sheep's milk and produced across the island. The cheese finds its way onto almost every dish.

▲Sunday lunches in Sardinia typically start with a selection of local hams, sausages, and cheese. Tip: savor them with a glass of local red wine.

▲This typical sausage, called sartitzu, is made with a combination of lean and fatty pork and mixed with herbs and spices, including fennel, anise, and pepper.

▲In Sardinia, you can find over 400 varieties of bread, from every region of the island. Pane Coccoi is made from semolina, or very fine flour, and is famous not only for its taste but also for its characteristic shape.

▲Pane carasau is a thin, crisp, circular flatbread, originally made for shepherds as a snack during their trek to pastures with their flock.

▲Pane frattau results from pane carasau being soaked with lamb stock and spread with tomato sauce and grated pecorino cheese. A poached egg crowns this delicacy.

▲Malloreddus is a small, oblong, grooved Sardinian pasta made of semolina flour and a pinch of saffron. It's seasoned with sausage and tomato sauce and topped with pecorino cheese.

▲Culurgiones are typical Sardinian dumplings filled with different ingredients, depending on the region. In the Ogliastra region, for example, the filling consists of boiled potatoes, olive oil, pecorino cheese, garlic, and mint.

▲In the south of Sardinia, you can find different shaped culurgiones, stuffed with ricotta cheese, spinach or chard, and various herbs. It's normally dressed with fresh tomato sauce and basil, or with butter and sage.

▲Sa Panada is a traditional pie made with a lamb and potato filling. In the Campidano region, it's commonly stuffed with eels.

▲Not just any old sausage, but a long pork sausage flavored with anice and pepper, rolled up and ready to be grilled. Delicious!

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This is probably the most famous Sardinian dish, the traditional porceddu—suckling pig wrapped in myrtle and bay leaves and spit-roasted for several hours in front of an open fire of burning aromatic woods, like juniper or olive.

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This is made from an ancient recipe passed down through generations of Sardinian farmers and shepherds. The principal ingredients are lamb intestines tied into an intricate braid of bowels.

▲Yes, snails, or sitzigorrus in the local language. Extracted, they are boiled and then stuffed back in their shells with a mixture of grated pecorino, chopped garlic, bread crumbs, white wine, and chopped parsley.

▲This is another recipe, where the snails are smothered with a fresh tomato sauce and garnished with onions and chili pepper.

▲Surprisingly perhaps, Sardinian wines are not very well known among the general public. In fact they are a well-kept secret! Tip: try the Cannonau and the Carignano.

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Sardinia's coastline is almost 1,242 miles (2,000 km) long, so it's no wonder fresh fish is a staple.

▲A typical starter dish served in Cagliari. Its main ingredient is dogfish, which is marinaded in vinegar, walnuts, and spices for 24 hours.

▲Any local seafood recipe includes lemon and olive oil.

▲An intensely flavored dish typically comprising grey mullet roe, which is sun-dried then salted and pressed.

▲Bottarga can be grated or sliced, but never cooked. Rather, it is served as a starter on toasted bread, or mixed with sliced artichokes for a savory salad.

▲This dish resembles large-grained couscous. Often presented as a soup, it can also serve as a base for conventional pasta sauces. Try it cooked with fresh clams, mussels, and topped with bottarga.

▲The majority of Sardinian desserts are created with honey, almonds, fresh pecorino cheese, sugar, orange flowers for color, and saffron. Tip: try the pardulas and gueffus.

▲Pan'e saba is a typical sweet prepared for ceremonial feasts such as weddings. A mixture of wine must, raisins, pine nuts, and almonds, and the treat is decorated with sprinkles.

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This is a traditional Sardinian dessert made of fried pastry and filled with immature pecorino cheese. A scent of lemon and warm honey tops it all off.

▲This typical carnival sweet is called para frittus in Sardinian, which literally means "fried monks." It's basically a fried donut covered in sugar.

▲The most famous Sardinian liqueur, made with myrtle berries, is best served almost frozen.

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Don't be fooled by its water-like appearance. Abbardente literally means "water that burns," and it really does make your throat tingle. This local brandy is the perfect way to follow a dinner in Sardinia.