In Sardinia dessert has a place of honour and is brought to the table with pride. At Da Luisu, on Via di Boccea in Rome, the dessert menu combines Sardinian tradition with a few great classics, mostly homemade as the menu itself states.
The seada: the signature dessert
The seada (Sardinian sebada) is the best-known Sardinian dessert outside the island. The menu describes it as a typical dessert of Sardinian tradition made of fried semolina pastry filled with Sardinian cheeses and dressed with honey, and presents it as "a true delight". It comes to the table hot, while the cheese is still soft, and the sweetness of the honey melts into the lightly savoury note of the filling.
Why it surprises
It is a dessert unlike any other: the fried pastry is crisp outside, the heart is stretchy and slightly tangy, and the honey ties it together. People who think they do not like desserts often choose it as a finale because it is less cloying than usual.
Myrtle: the scent of the island
Myrtle is the fragrant berry of the Sardinian Mediterranean scrub, from which the famous liqueur is also made. At Da Luisu you find it in the Sardinian takes on two classics: myrtle tiramisu and myrtle panna cotta, topped with myrtle compote. For both, the menu specifies that they are homemade ("all made by us", "made by us").
The classics on the menu
For those who prefer more familiar flavours there is the traditional tiramisu, "the most classic of desserts", homemade, and the panna cotta, which can be topped with the topping of your choice: pistachio, chocolate, caramel, strawberry and wild berries. There is also crema catalana, described as soft, creamy custard with a crisp layer of caramelised sugar.
Cakes and ice creams
Depending on availability, the menu lists grandmother's cake, with pine nuts and lemon cream, and the ricotta and chocolate chip cake. Among the cold desserts are lemon sorbet, fresh, thirst-quenching, digestive and alcohol-free, ice cream (cream, chocolate or lemon) and white or dark tartufo ice cream, which can be "drowned" in coffee, grappa or whisky for a 1 € supplement.
Pairing dessert
The seada goes with a simple finale. If you want to stay Sardinian, the myrtle tiramisu or panna cotta bring the scent of the island to the table; for those who like fresh sensations, lemon sorbet closes a fish meal well.
A note on tradition
The seada was born as a dessert for feasts and important meals, and is made with a fresh, slightly tangy cheese and lemon zest, which balances the richness of the frying. The honey, traditionally locally produced, is poured over the still-hot dessert. Myrtle, in its two liqueur versions, red (from the berries) and white (from the leaves), is among the sweet digestifs served at the end of a meal in Sardinia: a well-chilled small glass is the most natural way to accompany the dessert.
A tip for the evening
If you are in a group, order one seada to share and a myrtle dessert for each person: it is a simple way to taste more things and end the dinner cheerfully.
A Sardinian finale in Rome
To end a dinner as they do in Sardinia, book a table with the form on this site or call 06 6156 4012: ask about the seada and the myrtle desserts. Da Luisu awaits you at Via di Boccea 724.
