Apulia is one of the regions of Italy richest in architectural beauty, beautiful coastlines but mainly tasty local products.
If you want to discover the flavors and typical products of Apulia, you can do so by staying at the Masseria Mongiò dell’Elefante, located a few steps away from the Baia dei Turchi, a fantastic coastline area of Otranto with white sand and clear water.
Extra virgin olive oil
Apulia is also known as the “Oil Paradise”, precisely because of the immense expanse of olive trees. It is no coincidence that the inhabitants of this wonderful land wanted to take advantage of this characteristic, dedicating themselves to the production of EVO oil. It is a precious and ancient food that captivates the palates of the entire world.
Friselle
Another typical product of the Apulian production are the friselle, that is a durum wheat taralli, baked in the oven, cut in half horizontally and toasted again in the oven. They can also be served with tomatoes, olives, cold cuts, cheese and vegetables.
Friselle, photo by agrodolce
Taralli
Taralli are typical Apulian bakery products with a ring shape, which are made from a mixture of flour, salt water, EVO oil and white wine.
Turnip tops orecchiette
A classic of the Apulian culinary tradition are the orecchiette with turnip greens, in which vegetables and pasta blend perfectly. A dish with contrasting flavours: chilli pepper contrasts with the bitter taste of vegetables and the salty taste of anchovies.
Broad bean puree with chicory
The contrasting flavours are the master of Apulia: another typical dish of Apulian tradition is broad bean puree with chicory. The sweetness of the broad beans contrasts, in this case, with the bitter taste of chicory.
Broad bean puree with chicory, photo by vitadonna
Orecchiette with ricotta forte sauce
Ricotta forte is a sheep’s milk ricotta that is left to ferment for up to a year, at the end of which it takes on a bitter and spicy flavour at the same time. Excellent to spread on friselle, it gives rise to one of the typical dishes of Apulia: orecchiette with ricotta forte sauce.
Sagne ‘ncannulate
Sagne ‘ncannulate are a type of fresh pasta, called “a filo”, characterized by the absence of any eggs. In Salento they are considered the typical dish of the Sunday and are also seasoned with ricotta forte.
Turcinieddhi
This typical Apulian dish, seasoned with parsley leaves is very popular at festivals, is a roll of entrails: lungs, liver and guts that are also served during the holidays or for a nice Sunday lunch with the family.
