Taste of Puglia

The territory of Puglia (also called Apulia in English), is the easternmost region in Italy, a long, narrow peninsula, bordered by two seas, the Ionian and Adriatic, with the longest coastline in the Italian peninsula. Forming the heel of Italy’s “boot”, Puglia is a region of farmers.

The land is generally flat, with huge swathes of the countryside set aside for agriculture which produces over 40% of Italy’s olive oil. It’s also a huge producer of durum wheat.Puglia is known for its whitewashed hill towns, centuries-old farmland and hundreds of kilometers of Mediterranean coastline. Capital Bari is a vibrant port, while Lecce is known as “Florence of the South” for its baroque architecture. Alberobello and the Itria Valley are home to “trulli,” stone huts with distinctive conical roofs.

Cuisine

Burrata di Andria IGP, bread from Altamura, hearty baked dishes, simple plates of pasta and wilted wild greens such as chicory or cimi de rape are among the region’s most famous foods.

Puglia is the home of some of Italy’s most famous pasta dishes and breads. Pugliese cuisine plays an important role throughout Puglia. The key locally produced ingredients used in Puglia include olive oil, artichokes, tomatoes, aubergine, asparagus, and mushrooms. In summer it is very common to use also the carosello, a variety of muskmelon which is often consumed in an immature state.

Several DOP and IGP products are made in Puglia, including:

 

Burrata di Andria IGP

Collina di Brindisi DOP

Pane di Altamura DOP

Limone femminello del Gargano IGP