Sardinia never fails to intrigue on all fronts, and the foods of Sardinia are inherently intriguing in and of themselves. Given that it's the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, it's easy to assume that seafood stands front and center in the gastronomic culture. 

But malaria arrived on Sardinia during the Carthage invasion of 215 BC and wasn't eradicated until after World War II. Malaria plagued the coastline and Sardinians gravitated inland to avoid it, so fish didn't comprise a major part of their diets. Today, though, it's rather popular, of course. So, on that note, here are seven essential foods of Sardinia.