Area Marina Protetta Penisola del Sinis - Isola di Mal di Ventre

From the mullet, undergoing a particular preparation process, another famous dish of Sinis is obtained: the so-called "mreca". Mreca is the mullet boiled in salted water and preserved in a particular herb characterized by fleshy leaves, the so-called "zibba", abundantly growing in the area of Oristano and giving a particular aroma to the fish. The word "merka" has probably Phoenician origins and means "salted food". Mreca is characteristic of the ponds of Cabras and Santa Giusta: immediately after fishing, fish is scaled, boiled in cold water with a lot of salt and not very much water, and is drained after a couple of minutes from boiling.