Arra Culurgionis d'Ogliastra IGP

Arra Culurgionis d'Ogliastra IGP is the main line of the Arra pasta workshop (I Sapori d'Ogliastra) in Lanusei. It is filled fresh pasta with the protected geographical indication Culurgionis d'Ogliastra, granted by the EU in 2016. They may only be made in the historic region of Ogliastra and a few neighbouring municipalities: Esterzili, Sadali and Escalaplano.

The workshop sells a classic version and one with mint (menta). Pack ingredients are not listed, but the site describes the PGI rules: the dough is made of durum wheat semolina and wheat flour, salt, water and a fat such as lard, butter or extra virgin olive oil. The filling is potato or potato flakes, a mix of cheeses (such as the local casu axedu or other sheep, goat or cow cheeses) and fat, and may be flavoured with mint, garlic, basil or onion.

A portion of filling is placed on a round sheet of dough, folded and sealed with a seam shaped like an ear of wheat. By the rules this seam is made only by hand; at Arra both women and men close the culurgiones on the lines.

Once a festive food for All Saints' Day, Christmas and weddings, culurgiones are now an everyday first course. The shape is that of Sardinian culurgiones.