Puglia: the heel of the Italian peninsula, where histories, cultures, and civilizations have come together since antiquity to create one-of-a-kind traditions. Puglia’s territory and location have cultivated a rich diversity of farming, animal husbandry and fishing. The resulting dishes are simple—and simply delicious—examples of the renowned Mediterranean diet. Grains, legumes, fresh vegetables and fish take center stage, as well as delicious desserts that are adored by visitors to this splendid region.
Let’s discover the top 10 traditional dishes from Puglia, and get ready for our next food and wine tour!
1. Orecchiette e cime di rapa: Orecchiette pasta with broccoli rabe
Handmade by skilled pasta artisans, this one-of-a-kind pasta is called “little ears” for its ear-like shape. There are many different sauces and gravies used with orecchiette, but the most delicious and famous is broccoli rabe sautéed with anchovy filets to lend incredible flavor to the whole dish! It’s impossible to resist a second helping, which you will surely be offered.
2. Polpette di pane: Bread fritters
Bread fritters are a homemade specialty of southern Italian mothers and grandmothers, in the tradition of frugal housekeeping. Nothing goes to waste! Egg, parsley and other herbs are added to stale bread soaked in milk, then the batter is fried until crispy and delicious. Fresh out of the oil, enjoyed while waiting for lunch, they are the perfect finger food!
3. Pasticciotto
An authentic breakfast in Lecce isn’t complete without pasticciotto: a flaky pastry shell filled with custard. Nothing more, nothing less, but the pasticciotto’s simplicity is what makes it irresistable. Legend has it that pasticiotto was the result of a pastry chef’s mistake in the 1700s. When he didn’t have enough ingredients for an entire cake, the chef decided to make a small dessert instead, and pasticiotto was born. It’s available in all bars and pastry shops, and not just at breakfast, so you can indulge at any time of day!
4. Cozze arraganate: Baked mussels
These mussels from the province of Taranto are the most delicious in Puglia! They are stuffed with egg, parsley and cheese, then broiled in the oven: a succulent and original way to eat Italy’s most delicious mussels. You can find them in any restaurant along the coast of Taranto, as well as in the area of Salento.
5. Focaccia barese: Bari-style focaccia
Soft, thick dough with crunchy edges and just the right amount of oil. Sweet cherry tomatoes and oregano top this focaccia, which has become the symbol of Puglia street food. It’s as famous as the pizza of Naples, but seldom made in other regions because frankly it’s one of a kind! Bari-style focaccia can be found hot out of the oven at bakeries and takeaway shops, not just in Bari, but all over Puglia!
6. Melanzane ripiene: Stuffed eggplant
The pride of homecooks, each with their own recipe: the recipe for stuffed eggplant is simple, but the flavor evokes Sundays with family. Whole eggplant skins, cut in half, are stuffed with eggplant flesh cooked in plenty of oil and tomato, mixed with cheese, sometimes meat, breadcrumbs and plenty of love. Baked in the oven until golden and voilà: it’s a simply exquisite dish.
7. Panzerotti
Fried in boiling oil, panzerotti are Puglia’s specialty! These half-moons filled with tomato, mozzarella and anchovies are a must for foodies and the perfect alternative to a simple sandwich. There is a wide variety of creative and refined fillings to please all palates. So bring on the fillings with cured meats, cheeses, vegetables and delicious sauces. Don’t miss out!
8. Cartellate
The one and only holiday treats: cartellate! Their traditional rose shape resembles baby Jesus’s crown. Cartellate are made from a simple dough of flour and white wine, and then they are, of course, fried. After cooking, honey or vincotto are added according to individual taste and the cook’s recipe. Don’t turn your back or they’ll be gobbled up before you know it!
9. Friselle
During the hot summer, friselle are the key to a light and fresh lunch between a dip in the sea and your afternoon nap. Also called frise, friselle are made from an O-shaped roll that’s divided in half and toasted. Friselle are soaked in water according to taste, topped with oil and rubbed with cherry tomatoes just like normal bruschetta. And don’t forget oregano, the omnipresent herb of Puglia cuisine. Recently, gourmet friselle have also become popular, with burrata, anchovies and pesto, as well as salmon and avocado!
10. Fave e cicorie: Fava beans and chicory
Last but not least: the real tradition from inland Puglia, made from simple, wholesome ingredients by humble farmers. Fava beans and chicory is not just a dish, it’s an aroma, an emotion, the feeling of home and wholesomeness. Dried white fava beans are cooked for hours until they soften into a puree, and chicory from the fields is lightly sauteed. They come together on the plate and are topped with a simple drizzle of oil. It’s a dish that will stir your emotions by taking you back in time.
There are many more traditional dishes in the small but incredibly diverse region of Puglia. To discover them all your only choice is to go try them in person! For a fantastic vacation in Puglia tasting the region’s specialties, we recommend staying in one of our vacation villas in Puglia like Trullo Santo Stefano, Meadow Luxury Villa!
