Caschettas

Caschettas di Mamoiada. Foto di Renato Brotzu, da Sardegna Digital Library

*Caschettas* are a family of filled pastries found throughout Sardinia under a wide variety of local names: *tiliccas*, *tiriccas*, *tericcas*, *tziliccas*, *cotzuli*, *fraones*, *seddines*, *panigheddos*, *cucciuleddi*, and *meli*. All variants share a common structure: a thin casing of *pasta violata* (a dough made from durum wheat flour, lard, and water, worked until elastic) and a filling of ground almonds blended with honey or *sapa* (grape must syrup), sometimes enriched with saffron and citrus zest. The filling is prepared separately and allowed to firm up before being encased in the dough, which is cut into strips using a pastry wheel and shaped into forms that vary significantly from one area to another. After baking at a moderate temperature, the surface is often brushed with *sapa* and sprinkled with colored or silver sugar sprinkles, known variously as *tragera*, *tragea*, or *dragea* depending on the region.

Among the most distinctive variants are the *caschettas* from Belvì (in the Barbagia region), which stand out for the inclusion of hazelnuts—a local specialty—in the filling mixture. The choice between honey and *sapa* (and between grape must *sapa* and prickly pear *sapa*) depends on seasonal availability and local tradition. They are enjoyed on many occasions: *caschettas* appear during the commemoration of the dead, the Feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot, and Christmas, as well as at weddings, where they are known as "bride's pastries" due to the variety of shapes in which they are crafted for such events. They are officially recognized as a Traditional Agri-food Product (PAT).

Bibliography

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