With the aim of handing down the goodness and spreading the knowledge of a historic recipe, Calasetta has created the " Sagra del Pilau Calasettano " which takes place every year on the central weekend of May.
The 2023 edition, due to bad weather, has been postponed to the last week of June, and promises to be unmissable thanks to the numerous proposals: cooking competitions, tastings, exhibitions, guided walks in the village and in the island countryside and evening concerts.
The participation of Tessa Gelisio, devoted godmother of the event, has been confirmed on Sunday 2 July. The participation on Saturday 1 July of Giulia Salis, an expert food and wine journalist, is expected and very welcome, and is also present at the "Contest delle Regioni" at the University for Foreigners of Perugia.
Pilau is a dish that recounts the stages of the tabarchini in the Mediterranean, who emigrated from Liguria to Tunisia for coral fishing, and then settled in some areas of Sardinia, including Calasetta. Pilau is a recipe that is prepared for important occasions, it appears as a non-soupy soup, prepared with "scucuzù" and with a sauce strictly made with shellfish only: originally sea cicada (today a rare and protected species), spider crab, sea goat, sleepyhead crab and also lobster and lobster. The "scucuzù" is a small format of dry Ligurian pasta, slightly larger than couscous and very similar to Sardinian fregola.
The difficulty of finding Ligurian pasta today has led the Calasettani to use the fregola, creating a happy encounter between the Tabarchina and Sardinian cuisine.
The Pilau Festival is divided into thematic areas involving different areas of Calasetta : the Pilau area in Piazza Belly, the Tabarchina area in Via Roma, the Expo area in Via Umberto, the Sport area between Piazza P.to di Monaco and the Lungomare Colombo. All the roads between Via Marconi and Via Sauro will be closed to traffic, and parking is available free of charge along the entire port.
Three different tasting stands starting from Friday evening, exhibitions of craftsmen and hobbyists in the tabarchina area, music in Piazza Belly and in the sports village to entertain the public throughout the event.
The tower museums and the MACC, which host temporary exhibitions and art workshops, are open and can be visited. Also not to be missed is the sea museum "from Poseidon to Calasetta", a jewel in the center of the town, curated by Giuseppe Carbone and, of course, the Tabarkina Culture Museum, RAIXE..
Along the port numerous sports associations to entertain the public with exhibitions related to the various disciplines: sailing, weights, football, basketball, archery, dance and even arm wrestling. An Open Day of the Sulcis Naval League is planned with outings and workshops in the crystalline sea of Calasetta.
Among the shows on Friday, the traveling concert by the Banda G. Puccini, the oriental dances of the group "Belly Manar", the music of the group The Big Mama. On Saturday, the performance of Pole Dance, the Fusion Belly Dance Show and a tribute to Queen by the band Queen in Rock. On Sunday, the musical show of the ECHO80 group with covers from the 70s, 80s and 90s.
A program full of activities and shows, among the food and wine must-sees: on Friday "Pilau my way", a cooking show organized by the Cuochi Sud Sardegna association and a cooking workshop starring Chef Carlo Biggio. On Saturday, Peruvian Chef Rafael Rodriguez cooks Pilau. On Sunday a new cooking show by Chef Carlo Biggio, an eight-metre cake prepared by the students of the IPIA Hotel School of Sant'Antioco with the South Sardinia Chefs Association, the proceeds of which will go to charity to the United Oltre Association, and the pizza of Maestro Pizzaiolo Cristian Tolu, multi-awarded nationally and internationally.
The CCN Calasetta info point is always operational to request directions, purchase tokens for tastings, and to take home a nice souvenir of the event (wines from the Cantina di Calasetta, T-shirts, hats, etc.).
A weekend dedicated to the discovery of the territory, traditions and news not to be missed, in an enchanted setting between the white of the houses and the blue of the sea.
The Calasetta Pilau is the protagonist of the event, but the entertainment is truly for all tastes!