Luca Bianchi on a Treasure Hunt in Sardinia
Sardinia’s sea yields two delicacies: Nieddittas mussels & bottarga. The Bianchi chiefs on a culinary journey.
GaultMillau | Bella Italia
More than just sheep’s cheese & shepherd’s bread. When one thinks of Sardinia, one thinks of rustic cuisine: The second-largest island in the Mediterranean has given gourmets the aromatic sheep’s cheese Pecorino Sardo, the wafer-thin, crispy shepherd’s bread called Pane Carasau, and not least what is perhaps the most underestimated Italian pasta variety, the oven-roasted Fregola. Perhaps slightly less well known are two products that have their origins in the sea off the Sardinian coast: Bottarga di Muggine and Nieddittas mussels. Both delicacies are distributed in Switzerland by Bianchi Comestibles. It was therefore only natural that CEOs Luca Bianchi and Alessandro Battaglia recently paid a visit to their suppliers on site.
„Smells pleasantly of the sea.“ First stop: the Smeralda manufactory, where the Bottarga di Muggine is produced. „The art lies in cutting the roe from the grey mullet in such a way that the membrane around it is not destroyed,“ says Luca Bianchi. It is also about preserving the natural shape of this delicate organ as much as possible. Afterwards, the bottarga is placed in regional sea salt for a few hours and later stored on trays for drying for about three to four months. Thousands of pieces of Bottarga di Muggine mature at the producer’s facility, „it smells pleasantly of the sea.“ And is that the whole secret? There really is nothing more to it. „What fascinates me so much about bottarga,“ says Luca Bianchi, „is the fact that it is a truly pure product. 99.9 percent fish roe, plus salt – that’s it.“
After eight months, Nieddittas mussels are harvested.
After eight months, Nieddittas mussels are harvested.
Nieddittas mussels: „Plump, as you never see otherwise.“
Nieddittas mussels: „Plump, as you never see otherwise.“
Bianchi chiefs in Sardinia: Luca Bianchi & Alessandro Battaglia (from left).
Bianchi chiefs in Sardinia: Luca Bianchi & Alessandro Battaglia (from left).
Popular in Italian & Japanese restaurants. And what distinguishes Bottarga di Muggine from other dried roe? Its golden-brown color and the very elegant flavor, which is considerably more restrained than, for example, tuna. And should one shave it or grate it? „Both are correct,“ Alessandro Battaglia knows. „Grated, it can be distributed better, for instance on risotto with seafood.“ Who actually sources this Sardinian delicacy? „It is both Italian and Nikkei restaurants, including ‚La Muña‘ and ‚Hönggerhof‘ in Zurich.“
Crystal-clear water as a major advantage. The second stop of the trip takes the two Bianchi CEOs to the rather barren west of the island. „There, the locals are usually among themselves in the establishments during the off-season.“ And that is also where the Gulf of Oristano lies, where the Nieddittas mussels are cultivated. The area is idyllic, almost of Caribbean beauty. The water is so crystal-clear that one wonders how mussels can even grow there. But it is precisely in this nutrient-poor quality of the water that the great advantage of the delicacy lies. True to the motto „Good things take time,“ the exceptional cozze require approximately eight months before they can be harvested. „That is twice as long as with conventional produce,“ says Alessandro Battaglia.
Laid out on trays, the Bottarga di Muggine dries for three to four months.
Laid out on trays, the Bottarga di Muggine dries for three to four months.
Grated bottarga lends pasta with mussels a hint of briny salinity.
Grated bottarga lends pasta with mussels a hint of briny salinity.
The mussels taste elegant & mineral. And what particularly impressed Luca Bianchi during the visit to the mussel farm in the middle of the bay, which is a nature reserve? That they were able to taste the mussels that had just been pulled from the water on the boat. „The fishermen enjoy these mussels pure, that is, like oysters.“ When opening them, one recognizes the high quality immediately: „They are so plump, as you never see otherwise. They tasted remarkably elegant and slightly mineral.“ One can count oneself fortunate that the magic of these mussels has spread from the island to the outside world. Incidentally, the mussels are not cleaned before transport, unlike Dutch or French produce: „That would mean stress for them and would not do them any good.“
Synonym for Sardinian quality. Bianchi’s goal is now to make Nieddittas mussels a synonym for the highest quality – so that they will soon also appear under this name on the menus of fine-dining establishments, as is customary in several renowned gastronomic operations in Sardinia. It would be wonderful if not only Amalfi lemons, capers from Pantelleria, or Prosciutto di Parma were established terms, but also the exceptional Nieddittas mussels.