Puglia has always been a land of good food, bringing its inhabitants together and attracting millions of tourists. Puglia's excellent food and wine are produced in various places, and it's important to understand their production methods and savor the various typical products.
This southern Italian region is perfect for a unique sensory experience with authentic flavors. Puglia's culinary tradition has ancient roots, and you can still taste the authentic dishes that housewives long ago prepared with local produce; it was a humble cuisine , made with simple ingredients, yet so delicious that even today, it's irresistible. Even before the taste buds, Puglia's typical products captivate the eye with the harmony of natural colors and the nose with the aromas wafting from bakeries and kitchens.
Traveling throughout the region, you can discover a great diversity of products, starting with the sea, which offers fresh fish that is the basis of many traditional local recipes.
A typical product not to be missed is the local mozzarella, with tastings of the unmistakable Gioia fiordilatte mozzarella in Gioia del Colle.
In the region's hinterland, you can admire vast fields with typical dry stone walls and ancient buildings, such as the trulli in the Bari and Taranto areas and the pajare in Salento. Among the treasures of Puglia's cuisine is also the wheat used to make frise, taralli, and bread—especially the famous Altamura bread, which you can watch being made in ancient ovens and sample—and the pucce from Lecce.
Other great symbols of Puglia are oil and wine, produced in the mills, as the fruit of the great work of farmers.
You can also indulge in sweet treats such as bocconotto, pasticciotto leccese, curly almonds and finally among the sweets we have honey produced by careful flowering.
To discover Apulian specialties, you need to visit Puglia, starting from the countryside among the olive groves and ancient oil mills to participate in the production of extra virgin olive oil; or stroll through the streets of Bari where you can learn how to make orecchiette; or experience the aromas and flavors of cheeses and dairy products such as caciocavallo and burrata di Puglia.
Another experience not to be missed is strolling among the rows of ancient vineyards where you can taste the finest Apulian wines, such as Primitivo di Manduria, Susumaniello, Negroamaro, Aleatico, and Moscato di Trani.
One experience could be a tasting with a reenactment of ancient peasant rituals: this consists of lunch or dinner in a traditional setting, such as a trulli or an ancient Apulian farmhouse, during which you can sample the finest local recipes while enjoying an atmosphere enlivened by traditional peasant songs and dances with accordion and tambourine, or even dance the Salento Pizzica. During the tasting, you can choose between local meat, fresh fish, or other favorites.
Another Apulian product worth tasting is Capocollo di Martina Franca. It's in the Itria Valley that we find a market-leading company that artisanally produces various types of Apulian cured meats, including salami, guanciale, pancetta, soppressata, and, of course, Capocollo. Capocollo undergoes several stages of processing: selecting the cut, salting, marinating, casing, smoking, and finally curing.
Another tasting tour is offered at an old farmhouse located in the magical Itria Valley, just a short distance from the towns of Martina Franca, Locorotondo, Alberobello, and Cisternino. The tour begins at the farmhouse, then moves on to the dairy, continuing with a visit to the ancient courtyard with its trulli, and finally concluding with a generous tasting of typical, locally sourced products, including cured meats, cheeses, dairy products, and Apulian wine.
These and other experiences are only possible in our beloved Puglia!