During your stay in Lecce, in Salento, in Puglia, you can taste the delicious dishes of the Salento cuisine, Apulia.
Ciceri e tria
The Ciceri e tria are a specialty of Puglia, more precisely of Salento. This dish has ancient origins and there are traces of its existence since 35 BC. To prepare this recipe, the chickpeas are cooked over low heat, seasoned with a few bay leaves, until you get a soup. The Tria is the pasta which will be divided into two portions, a part is normally boiled in water, and a part is fried in hot oil. So, combine all three ingredients to form a unique and tasty dish that has to be eaten hot!
Ciceri e tria photo giallozafferano
Scapece
The scapece, marinated fish, is a dish of Salento, in particular of Gallipoli. It is a second course of fish that is fried and alternated to layers of bread crumbs seasoned with vinegar and saffron. Traditionally it was kept in wooden casks and was very useful during wars or sieges because could be stored for a long time and ward off hunger in the most difficult periods. The most used fish is the blue fish of small dimensions.
Cecamariti
The cecamariti are delicious and aphrodisiac pancakes. Their peculiar name is due to the fact that husbands, after tasting these delicacies, become “blind” to the failings or spiteful wives. They are prepared with zucchini and chopped onions with a pinch of red pepper. The batter is made with flour, eggs and water and is added to the mince. Fry in hot oil to form small pancakes, real fragrant and tasty tidbits!
Taieddhra photo lacassataceliaca
Taieddhra
The Taieddhra is a tasty main course made of rice, potatoes, zucchini and mussels. The taieddhra is the name of the traditional clay pan that was used to cook the dish in the oven. In the pan there are alternating layers of mussels, bread crumbs, potatoes and zucchini, raw rice and parsley, chopped tomatoes. All cooked with water from the mussels previously blanched in pan. A rich and delicious dish!
Li mustazzueli
Li mustazzueli or mustaccioli, are traditional desserts made with almonds and cocoa. In the traditional version there is the cooked wine, which is the grape must, that has a unique and unmistakable flavor, with raisins. A great cooked wine can also be derived from figs and is used frequently. The desserts look like small, soft loaves traditionally served for Christmas. Today, there are variants of cooked wine without or with the addition of coffee.
Mustaccioli photo giallozafferano
La cupeta
The cupeta Salentina is a crunchy almond dessert typical of the Christmas period. Made with roasted almonds and honey, it was also used on festivals, present in all the stalls, and it still is present in many occasions. This dessert is present, with other names, in other regions such as Calabria and Sicily, because of the same basic ingredients, almonds and honey, of which these lands are traditionally rich.
