The Italian pasta that was born in the 15th century and is still made by hand by women today
A tradition more than 500 years old and threatened with extinction. Lorighittas, a dough (paste, for the most demanding) in the form of braided threads, which are prepared with knowledge passed down from generation to generation in Sardinia, but few know about them in the world.
Traditionally, the lorighittas were prepared exclusively in Morgongiori, a small town in southern Italy, for the annual All Saints' Day celebration on November 1st.
The story behind the name lorighittas – derivative 'lorigas', a Sardinian word that means something similar to “iron ring” – varies depending on who you ask. Agostino Demontis, a chef, is from Segariu, a town near Morgongiori, where the lorighittas; for him, the name refers to the iron rings that were fixed to the outer wall of houses to restrain horses and oxen when men returned from the field. But there is another meaning. lorighittas it may also be the Sardinian word for “ears”.
Lorighittas used to be prepared by young and unmarried teenagers who would hang the dough on their ears after drying them under the sun. It was pretended that they were jewelry, since no one had access to gold at the time — Photo: Disclosure/Eataly
“Sometimes the lorighittas They were prepared by young and unmarried teenagers who hung the dough on their ears after drying them under the sun. They pretended they were jewelry, since no one had access to gold at that time,” said Demontis.
Situated at the foot of Monte Arci, in western Sardinia, the village of Morgongiori dates back thousands of years, to the Nuragic period, between the years 900 and 500 BC. The first settlers arrived at the site in the 6th century BC in search of obsidian, a black gemstone that forms from the region's volcanic lava. Today, the village of 800 inhabitants is perhaps best known for tapestries and handicrafts, traditionally made on old horizontal looms and preserved in the Living Museum of Textile Art. The second best-known manual activity is lorighita, which is threatened with extinction, according to the foundation Slow Food's Ark of Taste.
"lorighittas they are very valuable because we run the risk of losing them completely,” said Raimondo Mandis, director of the organization Slow Food Cagliari, in a telephone interview. “There were no longer even ten women producing manuals of lorighittas, and this on a seasonal basis.”
The first historical record of lorighittas It dates back to the 16th century from a testimony mentioning a peculiar dough with ring-shaped braiding in Sardinia. The report was made by the king of Spain, who at the time had control of most of Southern Italy, including Sardinia, Naples and Sicily, and who had asked about the island's economic activities.
Morgongiori fights to maintain the tradition of lorighittas. Photo: Disclosure
Generation of women
The women in Morgongiori still follow the same technique that has been around for hundreds of years. They knead the mixture for at least 30 minutes, usually much longer, occasionally dripping with salt water until it becomes pliable. Once the dough is ready and the pieces of lorighittas are braided, they are left in a bamboo basket to dry. This is a good time to start making the sauce.
In Morgongiori, the typical ragu includes chicken or pigeon (a species suitable for consumption), onion, garlic, parsley, white wine and tomato pulp (tomato passata). After cooking the lorighittas (for less than three minutes), they are coated with ragu and fresh pecorino cheese.
It seems easy enough, but four hours and less than ten pieces of lorighittas Afterwards, I ended up giving up. Maybe they didn't go as planned because I'm married and live in a one-bedroom apartment in Jersey, USA – or maybe I need a few more centuries of practice.
The effort to maintain the lorighittas began in 1994, when the Municipal Council of Morgongiori decided to host a festival dedicated to the special pasta. Mayor Renzo Ibba said that the city invited Sardinia's most acclaimed chefs - including Roberto Petza, owner and chef of the starred Apposentu di Casa Puddu in Siddi, a village in the central part of Sardinia, not far from Morgongiori – to present different recipes with the dough.
“The municipal council also involved small local producers (in this case, all women) to give new life to the tradition,” explained Ibba.
Morgongiori today dedicates the first Sunday in August to lorighittas at the festival Sagra Delle Lorighittas to promote his legacy.
“Thanks to some good chefs, we are seeing lorighittas on restaurant menus around the country; they are much more common now,” Mandis said. “They are generally found in renowned restaurants, and it’s good to see something that was practically lost being revitalized.”
With information
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