Flavors · Sardenha

Seadas

Discs of semolina dough filled with fresh cheese flavored with lemon or orange zest, fried and topped with honey. It is Sardinia’s best-known sweet, originating in the island’s pastoral interior.

Traditional sweet from Sardenha

Also known as: sebadas, sevadas, seada, sebada, sabadas, Sebadas di Sardegna

Updated November 2026

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Seadas — Sardenha, Italy

Seadas are made with a thinly rolled dough of durum wheat semolina and lard. On one disc goes a filling of slightly tangy fresh cheese, from sheep or cow, scented with lemon or orange zest; another disc closes the pastry, which is cut with fluted edges. Fried in oil or lard, they turn golden and crispy outside, with the cheese melted and stretchy inside. Hot honey is poured over them, often chestnut honey or honey from Mediterranean plants, or sometimes sugar.

The sweet comes from the island’s interior, from areas such as the Campidano, the Barbagia, the Ogliastra and the Baronie. According to tradition, it was prepared to welcome shepherds returning from transhumance, the seasonal movement of herds between pastures. For that reason it sits on the border between sweet and savory.

Names vary by region: seadas, sebadas, sevadas, sabadas and others. The name Sebadas di Sardegna, with its variants, has been recognized as a protected geographical indication, and the sweet is produced across the island. Seadas are part of Sardinia’s traditional pastry craft.

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Where it comes from

Sardenha
A pastoral-tradition sweet from all over Sardinia, without a specific town of origin, with different names in different regions.

Ingredients

Durum wheat semolina and lard in the dough; fresh sheep or cow cheese and lemon or orange zest in the filling; honey or sugar on top.

How it is eaten

Hot, right after frying, drizzled with honey, served as a dessert.

When it is eaten

All year round; traditionally at festivals and on the return of shepherds from transhumance.

Your questions

Questions about Seadas

Are seadas sweet or savory?

They are served as a dessert, but the fresh cheese filling and the honey place the sweet between sweet and savory.

Are seadas and sebadas the same thing?

Yes. The name changes according to the Sardinian region: seadas, sebadas, sevadas, sabadas and others.

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