Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PUGLIA ON YOUR PLATE
Puglia is home to Italy's most uncorrupted, brawniest, least known vernacular cuisine. It has evolved
from
cucina povera
- literally 'cooking of the poor' or peasant cooking: think of pasta made without
eggs and dishes prepared with wild greens gathered from the fields.
Most of Italy's fish is caught off the Puglian coast, 80% of Europe's pasta is produced here and
80% of Italy's olive oil originates in Puglia and Calabria. Tomatoes, broccoli, chicory, fennel, figs,
melons, cherries and grapes are all plentiful in season and taste better than anywhere else. Almonds,
grown near Ruvo di Puglia, are packed into many traditional cakes and pastries, which used to be
eaten only by the privileged.
Like their Greek forebears, the Puglians eat
agnello
(lamb) and
capretto
(kid).
Cavallo
(horse) has
only recently galloped to the table while
trippa
(tripe) is another mainstay. Meat is usually roasted or
grilled with aromatic herbs or served in tomato-based sauces.
Raw fish (such as anchovies or baby squid) are marinated in olive oil and lemon juice.
Cozze
(mus-
sels) are prepared in multitudinous ways, with garlic and breadcrumbs, or as
riso cozze patata,
baked
with rice and potatoes - every area has its variations on this dish.
Bread and pasta are close to the Puglian heart, with per-capita consumption at least double that of
the USA. You'll find
orecchiette
(small ear-shaped pasta, often accompanied by a small rod-shaped
variety, called
strascinati
or
cavatelli
), served with broccoli or
ragù
(meat sauce)
,
generally topped
by the pungent local cheese
ricotta forte
.
Previously known for quantity rather than quality, Puglian wines are now developing apace. The
best are produced in Salento (the Salice Salentino is one of the finest reds), in the
trulli
area around
Locorotondo (famous for its white wine), around Cisternino (home of the fashionable heavy red Prim-
itivo) and in the plains around Foggia and Lucera.
In a land where the cuisine is all-important, Puglia's
cucina povera
(peasant cooking) is
legendary. Olive oil, grapes, tomatoes, eggplants, artichokes, peppers, salami, mushrooms,
olives and fresh seafood strain its table. Although boasting some of Italy's best food and
wines, in some places it's rare to hear a foreign voice. But in July and August Puglia be-
comes a huge party, with
sagre
(festivals, usually involving food), concerts and events,
and thousands of Italian tourists heading down here for their annual break.
