«Spaghetti with Mistras clams. After the passing of Michela Murgiaon August 10, 2023, his mother – Costanza Marongiu – had no hesitation in answering the questions of the Corriere della Sera on the dish that the daughter absolutely preferred. A detail of little importance, but significant, considering the impact that the writer, activist, playwright, commentator and literary critic had in our country (and not only) and whose posthumous work is now in bookstores Remember me as you like (Feltrinelli, 18.52 euros). Because in some way it sums up the love for his Sardinia, as well as the well-known attitude to “devour life”.

Italian specialities: Mistras clams

So yes, among many things, Michela Murgia also loved good food and to find out why, in particular, she considered the clams from the protected lagoon in the province of Oristanoin Sinis, we turned to Jacopo Giampaoletti, CNR biologist who studies “lagoon macro-zoobenthic organisms” here. Arselle, otherwise called clams outside Sardinia and Liguria, included. «Mistras has an excellent connection with the sea, and for filter-feeding animals this is also of great importance in terms of flavour. Furthermore, it is «the now rare Ruditapes decussatus – that is, real Italian clamsupplanted over time by the less delicious philippinarum – which still thrives in some areas of Sardinia, in addition to Mistras for example in S’Ena Arrubia and Marceddì”. Increasingly difficult to find and, in this case, at high costs (“even 25-30 euros per kilo”), it is recognized thanks to the two well separated siphons. That of the nearby Arobrea lagoons – also near Oristano, over 180 hectares of coastal ponds created between strips of sand that separate the sea from the mainland – even fall within theSlow Food’s Ark of Taste: they still come captured by hand, one by onewith a mirror and a knife – to then be sold in Sardinia and, to a minimal extent, on the continent – and they valves with a particular black and white stripe (Stubborn pintade) or just black (Cocciue niedde), the tastiest. The white clams (Cerastoderma edule), less valuable, instead have round and wrinkled valves, while the gray or black ones are slightly elongated. Just to have some coordinates, given that “imitations” abound, causing enormous damage to local fishermen.

Where to enjoy them in Cabras and surrounding areas