Rich in flavours and perfumes , the Apulian cuisine is known throughout the world for its special authenticity . In the region there is no shortage of traditional dishes , typical of the Mediterranean diet .
Bathed by the waters of the Adriatic on one side and the Ionian on the other, the region boasts the delicacies and fresh goodness of the sea: freshly caught fish and seafood are always on the tables of the Apulians. Apulian cuisine also boasts a rich variety of vegetables. cultivated in the lands.
Apulian cuisine is made of love and passion, tradition and wisdom passed down by word of mouth, from mother to daughter. Apulian food is the true protagonist, enriched with small secrets that make the difference in the success of a typical dish . The high-quality raw materials : Polignano carrot , Galatina chicory and the white onion of Otranto up to the renowned red onion of Acquaviva , there are various vegetables and fruits characteristic of the cultivations in the region. Among the favourite ingredients are vegetables, turnips, cabbages, peppers, aubergines, artichokes, legumes, broad beans, grass peas, lentils, beans, green beans , which blend expertly with the scents of the Adriatic and the characteristic mountain products in areas such as the Gargano .
Each season is characterised by its own aromas and typical recipes in the cuisine of the heel of Italy . Starting from the much-loved orecchiette with turnip tops , or with ragù , the flavors blend with the craftsmanship of making pasta on wooden boards right in the street. Strolling through the narrow streets of some cities like Polignano a Mare, Ostuni, Lecce, Gallipoli, and Bari, you can encounter housewives busy preparing cavatelli, strascinati, troccoli, and orecchiette .
In addition to the delicious first courses, the region is known throughout Italy for its special products such as Altamura bread , or fried or baked panzerotti , the tasty focaccia from Bari , the Battered vegetables and many other delicacies are being reproduced, but only if enjoyed directly in Puglia will they have a unique and unforgettable flavour.
The dishes are simple and mostly come from the poor and peasant tradition. panzanella , the typical bombette of the Itria Valley , cheeses such as cacioricotta, canestrato, ricotta , or some products typical regional dairy products such as mozzarella , chocolate chip or the burrata .
Even the Apulian sweets sector has some great surprises in store, such as the Casatiello , the Zeppole , the Almond rose , the Boconotti , The Leccese pasticciotto , taralli with cooked wine and many other delicacies.
However, within the same region, traditions vary from one area to another.
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Gargano cuisine : Looking at a table full of dishes and products of the Gargano you are immediately fascinated by the variety of colours of the fruit , meat and fish dishes like those of the Tremiti Islands cuisine , vegetables , cheeses And Soups . The aromas are enhanced by the constant presence of parsley , basil , garlic , capers , oregano , and wild arugula . Packaged bread, fresh pasta, extra virgin olive oil , vegetables , wild greens , fish , crustaceans , molluscs , and goat meat form the basic elements in the preparation of the dishes.
Bread and pasta casareccia have always been the culinary pillars.
For example, bruschetta is prepared with bread flavoured with extra virgin olive oil and refreshed with cherry tomatoes . the pancotto , the caponata . We then feast on lamb , kid , eel , soppressate , orange and lemon salads , stuffed wafers , caciocavallo cheese , broad beans , snail soup , cooked grape wine. or figs , figs Indian , macaroni with goat ragù .
The tourist cannot help but fall in love with the very particular flavour of the extra virgin olive oil that this territory generously produces with the DOP Dauno which is obtained from olives coming from prized varieties and can be tasted along the road of the oil of the province of Foggia .
2) Salento cuisine : The Typical Salento cuisine is essentially humble, but at the same time tasty: pasta, wheat, vegetables, greens, small fish and portions of inexpensive meat were the protagonists of the tables of farmers, shepherds and fishermen.
Pasta and bread were made from simple grains: barley, spelt, and rye, which were used to make bread and pasta. Vegetables and the vegetables They were always present, as were legumes and extra virgin olive oil. Fish and meat were for the lords' tables, as were milk and cheese. Salento's gastronomy, in short, amazes with its disarming simplicity , counterpointed by unique flavors. Beyond Salento's gastronomy, one will also be fascinated by Salento's folklore, a land rich in traditions that often go hand in hand with food. Indeed, strolling through the streets of Salento's villages during a patronal festival will always give you the opportunity to... bite into a typical specialty such as a calzone, a rustico leccese, a sandwich with pieces of horse meat or a bit of scapece, or a pasticciotto. But all this happens not only in summer; in spring too, Salento's Easter culinary traditions bring people out into the streets to watch the processions and sample the delicious local dishes. In Salento, there are still those who enjoy making a scarcella, a typical Salento Easter sweet, or some other Easter focaccia at home. In short, Salento's cuisine is very rich, and Salento is synonymous with street life, and good, simple food with authentic, flavorful cuisine.
3) Bari cuisine: focaccia, panzerotti, orecchiette, “raw seafood”, popizze and sgagliozze: these are some of the typical dishes of Bari . A collection of specialties, colors, and aromas waiting to be discovered in the streets of this Apulian city. When we talk about Bari, we inevitably think of "strascinate," or orecchiette . This is one of Bari's signature dishes. Orecchiette have a slightly rounded shape and are typically prepared with turnip tops. In the narrow streets of the old city, there's a special place near the Arco Basso: here, a few women make orecchiette by hand every day, in all sizes: small, medium, and large.
Raw seafood is also a symbol and source of pride for the city. Many restaurants make it their signature dish, but one of the most unusual and perhaps even more extreme experiences is trying it "nder a la lanz . " This area overlooking the small old port is famous for being a sort of meeting point for fishermen who, every day and for years, after their fishing trip, set up their stalls on the long sidewalk to sell their fresh catch.
Then there are the " popizze " and the "sgagliozze , " which are among the typical dishes of Bari and are somewhat of a street food. Popizze are small balls of dough seasoned with sugar or salt; sgagliozze are rectangles of fried polenta served piping hot. Both specialties are easy to find in the old town where, especially in the evening, you'll come across small carts manned by expert Bari residents, where they're prepared fresh.
4) Taranto cuisine: I Typical Taranto dishes have a distinctive flavor, and to truly discover their authenticity, you need to try them in the right places. Among the delicacies, we find bombette tarantine, a Taranto specialty filled according to the classic recipe with ham and cheese, but now available in many variations. There are breaded bombette, bombette wrapped in pancetta, bombette with speck and stracchino, with porcini mushrooms and parmesan, with Genoese pesto, with gorgonzola and walnuts, with four cheeses, with grilled eggplant and fontina, and much more. These meat rolls are then grilled over charcoal and served with a side salad or roasted potatoes. Then there's the famous panzerotto tarantino, another typical dish of this city, which reveres it as one of its most exquisite delicacies. Prepared fried or baked, it's a true delight.
Also known as orecchiette tarantine, "chiancaredde" are a type of homemade pasta typical of the city of two seas. Kneaded with water and flour, the dough is then rolled out on a pastry board with a rolling pin and cut into thin strips. A quick movement of the thumb is needed to obtain the typical concave shape of this pasta. Excellent with fresh tomato sauce.
Another product used to prepare various Taranto dishes is fish and Taranto mussels. Mussel farming and fishing are traditional activities with a thousand-year history for Taranto, the City of Two Seas. We also have a large production of citrus fruits and typical wines; in fact, the Taranto area is home to four of Puglia's six IGT (Protected Geographical Indication) wines, in the areas of Martina Franca and Crispiano.