Su porceddu: breve storia culturale del piatto simbolo della Sardegna fra XVI e XX secolo

Su porceddu, the roast suckling pig, is widely regarded as the Sardinian dish of choice - the dish that identifies Sardinians. The recognition of its role, its pervasive presence on tables at home and in restaurants, as well as its transformation, in the discourses of Sardinians and of foreign observers, into a sign of Sardinianness and into a collective stereotype, have a long history of deeply intertwined material, religious, economical, cultural, and political dimensions. The article sketches a semio-cultural history of su porceddu from the 16th century to the present, focusing in particular: a) on key moments of intercultural definition of su porceddu as the "symbol" of Sardinian culture as a whole; b) on different values that have been associated with su porceddu from time to time; c) on the ways in which such definitions and values have transformed in relation with broader sociopolitical dynamics.