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The Tiny Italian

Travel

Discover the best dishes to eat in Puglia


I’ve been lucky enough to experience the beautiful scenes of Puglia for the last 38 years of my life. During the summer holidays, my brother and I would integrate with our Italian family. Over the years, we formed a bond with our Southern Italian heritage, the culture, and, of course, enjoyed the local cuisine.

Since starting The Tiny Italian, I have embraced Puglian cooking and profoundly inspires my recipe creations. I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent researching recipes and recreating them in my Peckham kitchen. I think my Nonna Gina would be proud of her London’ nipotina‘ adopting her Italian food roots. Don’t get me wrong; I am a lover of all Italian regional cooking. However, the honesty and simplicity of Puglian cookery will always hold a special place in my heart.

Puglia and food

To clarify, Puglia is the most southern-eastern region in Italy. It faces the Adriatic coast and is generally flat in comparison to other Italian mountainous areas. It’s brimming with olive groves, fields of durum wheat and grapevines, forming the holy trinity of southern Italian food – Olive oil, pasta/bread and wine. Renowned for being a farmers region, vegetables and pulses are at the centre of Puglias’ cucina povera, with meat playing a smaller part and fish/seafood regularly enjoyed along the coastline.

While travelling around, it’s common to come across a Masseria – a traditional Puglian farmhouse. Some have now opened their doors to the public. Making it possible to not only lodge there but also feast on local dishes created solely with the produce harvested and reared on their land.

Le stanzie – Antipasti
Le stanzie – pasta
Le stanzie – outside

First hand experience

I always try to explain and describe to people how good the food is in Puglia. I recreate many dishes at home. However, it’s not that simple. The quality of ingredients found in London is not always as good as those sourced in the southern Italian region. Most fresh food is naturally organic and readily available, which automatically changes the depth of flavour. So to understand what you’re missing out on you will need to travel over and try for yourself.

There are a handful of foods and dishes you must enjoy for the best Puglian ‘foodie’ experience, including excellent vegetarian and vegan options.

Burrata

Burrata is one of the most popular Puglian cheeses now found in the western world. Over the last few years, it’s been common to find in most Italian or European restaurant menus across the UK. You may have already tried it yourself, but how many of you already knew that it came from this southern Italian region?

Burrata – which means buttery, has the outer case of mozzarella but filled with cream and stracciatella (small shreds of buffalo milk cheese). Slicing one in the middle is one of the sexiest things you could ever do. You can find it freshly sold at deli counters in most local supermarkets. It’s not as heavily featured at restaurants as it is here. It’s usually served with maybe a drizzle of olive oil and perhaps some rocket at a local Masseria.


Frisella

You’re probably thinking, ‘what is this frisella?’ So let me explain. The frisella is a large biscuit of durum wheat (also can be made with barley or a combination of both). It’s cooked in the oven, cut in half horizontally and baked again in the oven. Its rock hard. You couldn’t eat it as it is. You would lose a tooth or choke on it as it’s so dry. So what do you do with it?

Many, many moons ago, I remember my Nonna G would make us a frisella as part of our evening snack. I would be fascinated by how she would prepare them. She would grab a frisella and dunk it into a blue plastic bowl of cold water for a few seconds. She would then plate it. Next, she would slice a tomato in half, and squeeze out the tomato seeds before using the tomato skin to spread them across the surface. She would then chop the remainder of the tomato and place it on top. Repeat with the other half. Drizzle over extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle dry oregano and season with salt. That is one way of eating it.

You can enjoy it with so many other toppings; tuna and tomato, roasted peppers, leftover veg etc. It’s such a versatile food. I can guarantee that 99% of Puglians have frisella in their cupboards.

You can find them prepared at small casual eating spots or at a sagra (a food festival where the town celebrate a local food or drink). Or head to the local supermarket, where you can buy them in bulk and prepare them yourself at home.

tiella di rise, cozen and potato
Frisella topped with fresh tomato and rocket

Sagne or orecchiette & macaroni with fresh tomato sauce and cacio ricotta

As some of you may know, pasta is essential to Italian food heritage. Each region has its shapes and sauces that it prides itself on, and Puglia is no different. Unlike the north of Italy, pasta is eggless in the south and made with durum wheat or semolina or a combination of both with just water. So, vegans, this is the place for you if you want some great homemade pasta.

Three pasta shapes are popular down these ends.

Sagne – It’s cut into thick flat ribbons and then twisted.

Orecchiette – are known as little ears.

Maccheroni– Thin small tubes. Both orecchiette and maccheroni are usually served together in Puglia.

Many different sauces go with these pasta shapes. But in my opinion, pasta served with a fresh tomato homemade sauce with grated cacioricotta is one of the best. In my opinion, Puglian tomatoes are the most outstanding. They taste what tomatoes should taste like, so juicy and sweet. There is no other place on this earth where you will find tomato sauce like this. Finish off the dish with grated cacioricotta. It’s a mix of sheep and goats milk, a hybrid of cheese (cacio) and ricotta, hence the name. Its a creamy cheese with a slightly firm texture.



Pure di fave e cicorielle and Muersi fritti 

The next two dishes go hand in hand and represent the term ‘cucina povera‘. These go way back in time and represents the type of food people use to eat back in the day when eating meat was not an option.

Pure di fave e cicorielle – dry broad bean puree served with sautéed cicorie (which is an edible wild plant found in these ends, actually part of the dandelion family- cool fact huh?!) served with bread.

Muersi fritti or Panecotto – fried stale bread (nothing would get wasted) cooked in olive oil with broccoli rabe and cannellini beans. You can create this dish with whatever vegetable or pulses are available at the time.

These two recipes are extremely honest and reflect some of the tougher times in the south. However, these are still embraced by the locals and never forgotten, appreciating the better times now.

Enjoy these dishes at a local masserie or a sagre.

Pure di fave e cicorielle & muersi grotto
Pure di fave e cicorielle & muersi grotto

Pasticiotto

When it comes to cakes and pastries, the Pugliese know what they are doing. The ‘pasticceria‘ – bakery/pastry shops are unreal. Breakfast is the best where you can get a wide selection of baked goodies. However, for me, one of the most iconic pastries of all is the pasticiotto. There are many versions all over Italy. However, the real fact is that these originated from Galatina, in Salento, Puglia. So if you want the real thing, you must try them here. Shortcrust pastry tarts filled with custard which has a hint of lemon, baked in the oven and usually served warm.

Warning: these get very addictive, and before you know it, you’ve put on three stone. But if you’re happy. Got for it!


Bombette

As mentioned before, meat plays a small part in the local cuisine. However, if there is a meat dish you have to try, hunt down Bombette. These are fantastic meat rolls. Originally from the Bari area, these are the ultimate Puglian street food. Originally made with thin slices of pork (capocollo, neck fillet) filled with caciocavallo cheese (strong aged cows milk cheese), parsley, salt and pepper. There are usually served roasted or chargrilled.

They originated from the fact that the Pugliese couldn’t afford to eat meat, especially during and after the war. So they created these bad boys with any scraps of meat they could find. Little did they know that their poverty created an incredible delicacy for us to enjoy. Grazie Mille!!!

You can find all different versions of bombette. I had some with speck and smoked mozzarella, pancetta, others wrapped in courgette. However, the original version to me is the go-to bombette.



Focaccia barese

Another popular street food that you can grab and eat it on the go is the focaccia barese. The best way to describe it is the Puglian version of a pizza — a thick doughy bread topped or filled with a number of different toppings.

Toppings include tomato, olives and capers, or tomato sauce with sautéed rabe, peppers and capers or even stuffed with salami and mozzarella. To be honest, the list of options could be as long as my arm and leg put together. The perfect snack to have while chilling on the beach or in the evening.


Tiella di riso, cozze e patate

As mentioned previously, a lot of fresh fish and seafood is eaten along the coastline. There are so many beautiful dishes that you can try. However, tiella di riso, cozze e patate from Bari is a fantastic and super original dish. A baked rice dish with mussels and potato. It’s flavoured with onions, tomatoes and courgette. It may not be the prettiest of dishes but, god-dammit, it tastes so friggin-fabulous. You can find it at local seafood restaurants or ‘friggitoria‘ – an Italian fish and chips stop. There, you will find a wide range of fish and seafood to choose from, which you then get prepared in front of you the way you wish.

Finally, all fresh food and vegetables are incredible. You can find stalls everywhere you go. When you do find one, please go, touch, smell, buy, eat etc. You will never view vegetables the same way ever again.

San Foca
Torre dell’orso
Sannicola

Travel tips

Apart from these fantastic food recommendations, there are a few other travel tips I would love to give you.

  1. Avoid August, especially the second and third week of the month. It’s in the middle of Ferragosto – an Italian bank holiday. It gets crazy busy and hectic.
  2. Please hire a car. It’s so hard to get around without one. Public transport is so limited and doesn’t reach all the places. So you will better off relying on yourself to get around.
  3. Arm yourself with a few words and phrases in Italian. This part of the country is not like some of the other touristy parts of Italy. Though a lot of the younger generation can speak basic English, the older generation is fair to say, have zero knowledge. However, people are very proud and protective of their region. If you show an effort to try and speak the language, it will get you far. People in Puglia are so kind and helpful, and your experience could completely change if you create a friendship with a local.
  4. If you would like to take part in an amazing food tour, then check out Salento food porn for greatly priced tours and food experience.
  5. Try and find out about the local festa or sagra during your stay (local food festival) where you will get a true experience of the people, the culture, the music and of course the food.
Sagra del vino – Wine festival
Sagra del vino – Wine festival
Lights at the festa

6. The beaches are incredible and they call them the Italian Caribbean. Apart from the beaches, there are some amazing natural pools and bays where you can swim in the clearest blue of waters. My faves are Grotta della Poesia in Roca and Porto Badisco.

Porto badisco
Torre dell’orso
Grotta della poesia

My mouth has just been watering non-stop from writing all this up for you. Some of my best food memories all come from Puglia. I hope this list will help you get the best food experience when you go and visit this magnificent part of Italy. I have been going for 38 years and never have I ever got tired or bored of it. Be ready to embrace something magical.

For food and culture experiences in Salento Puglia, please contact Francesca at Gluglu Salento. Experiences include enjoying a traditional ‘aperitivo’ on a boat cruising along the Adriatic coast, a cooking class in the middle of the countryside and dinner arrangements at some of the best restaurants in the area.

Francesca Montefusco

Tel. +39 324-0484881

www.gluglusalento.com

TAGS:italiantraveitalypugian cookingpugliapuglia foodpuglian foodpuglian recipessouthern italiansouthern italian cookingtravel
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The Tiny Italian

Ciao, I’m Paola I’m Paola (The Tiny Italian). I'm an Italian food expert cook and teacher. I teach people to not only cook but teach them how to LOVE TO COOK. I help change peoples mindset by showing them that cooking is not only for 'FOODIES' and sharing the fun, stress-free side with recipes, tips and cooking experiences.

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Ciao, I’m Paola
Ciao, I’m Paola

Ciao, I’m Paola

I’m Paola (The Tiny Italian). I'm an Italian food expert, cook and teacher. Cooking doesn't come easy to everyone. However, I help you LEARN to LOVE to cook and eat better with EASY SEXY HEALTHY Italian RECIPES. Plus TIPS and HACKS to build your kitchen CONFIDENCE. Come cook with me at one of my fun stress free cooking classes or courses. It’s all about helping others BELIEVE IN THEIR OWN SAUCE!

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By embracing an EASY FUN DELICIOUS form of SELF CARE you will eventually cook without the stress or overwhelm. 
It’s all about enjoying the process and cooking food that makes you feel good.
Cos when we eat better, we feel better my bambinos 
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By embracing an EASY FUN DELICIOUS form of SELF CARE you will eventually cook without the stress or overwhelm. It’s all about enjoying the process and cooking food that makes you feel good. Cos when we eat better, we feel better my bambinos #businessmission #cookingrelationships #helpwithcooking #selfcarepage #wellnesstips #mindfulcooking #mindfuleatingtips #mindfuleatingcoach
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For more info head to my website (link under my bio) or drop me a DM on here or email me paola@thetinyitalian.com
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This is your invitation to come join the best online self care cooking community on the planet. SAUCY SOCIETY It’s a space for you to intentionally take part in fun delicious mindful self care cooking. It’s a space to help rediscover your cooking mojo and transform your cooking relationship. When you are busy it’s hard to find time for yourself. However when you change your mindset about something you do everyday I.e. cooking, you can turn what feels like a chore into the self care you need to reward yourself after a hectic day. For more info head to my website (link under my bio) or drop me a DM on here or email me paola@thetinyitalian.com #cookinglife #cookingday #selfcareeveryday #selfcareaccount #cookwithlove #eatbetterfeelbetter #onlinecookingclass #cookingcommunity
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By embracing an EASY FUN DELICIOUS form of SELF CARE you will eventually cook without the stress or overwhelm. 
It’s all about enjoying the process and cooking food that makes you feel good.
Cos when we eat better, we feel better my bambinos 
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By embracing an EASY FUN DELICIOUS form of SELF CARE you will eventually cook without the stress or overwhelm. It’s all about enjoying the process and cooking food that makes you feel good. Cos when we eat better, we feel better my bambinos #businessmission #cookingrelationships #helpwithcooking #selfcarepage #wellnesstips #mindfulcooking #mindfuleatingtips #mindfuleatingcoach
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This is your invitation to come join the best online self care cooking community on the planet.
SAUCY SOCIETY
It’s a space for you to intentionally take part in fun delicious mindful self care cooking. It’s a space to help rediscover your cooking mojo and transform your cooking relationship. When you are busy it’s hard to find time for yourself. However when you change your mindset about something you do everyday I.e. cooking, you can turn what feels like a chore into the self care you need to reward yourself after a hectic day. 
For more info head to my website (link under my bio) or drop me a DM on here or email me paola@thetinyitalian.com
#cookinglife #cookingday #selfcareeveryday #selfcareaccount #cookwithlove #eatbetterfeelbetter #onlinecookingclass #cookingcommunity
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This is your invitation to come join the best online self care cooking community on the planet. SAUCY SOCIETY It’s a space for you to intentionally take part in fun delicious mindful self care cooking. It’s a space to help rediscover your cooking mojo and transform your cooking relationship. When you are busy it’s hard to find time for yourself. However when you change your mindset about something you do everyday I.e. cooking, you can turn what feels like a chore into the self care you need to reward yourself after a hectic day. For more info head to my website (link under my bio) or drop me a DM on here or email me paola@thetinyitalian.com #cookinglife #cookingday #selfcareeveryday #selfcareaccount #cookwithlove #eatbetterfeelbetter #onlinecookingclass #cookingcommunity
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Sharing your food around the table with your loved ones is one of cooking greatest gifts.
So by eliminating cooking with love you’re also eliminating those connections.
The last few years has taught many of us what really is important and no matter how busy life gets it’s important to not take for granted those around us and spend time where we can… cos life is sometimes a little bit too short to spend time worrying about the sh*t that really doesn’t matter in life.
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Sharing your food around the table with your loved ones is one of cooking greatest gifts. So by eliminating cooking with love you’re also eliminating those connections. The last few years has taught many of us what really is important and no matter how busy life gets it’s important to not take for granted those around us and spend time where we can… cos life is sometimes a little bit too short to spend time worrying about the sh*t that really doesn’t matter in life. Love should always come first. Paola ❤️ #eatatthetable #eatingathome #cookingathomeisfun #homecookingisthebest #cookwithlove #sharingfood #makingconnections
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SAVE THIS RECIPE WHEN YOU ARE IN NEED OF SEXY SELF CARE COOKING. 
This dish not only slaps in tonnes of flavour it’s the perfect delicious comforting reward after a busy day. 
It’s an easy and simple recipe to follow which is what we need after a busy day.  You need to try it if you enjoy these ingredients:
Peas
Spinach
Leeks
Pancetta
Gnocchi 
Lemon
Mascarpone (you can use any cream cheese)
Using @martini and @parmigianoreggianouk to make sure that this dish taste absolutely banging. And it really does. 
Plus my flat mates @microplaneintl made sure that I  only added the lemon zest and not the pith which can be bitter and affect the flavour of the dish. Everyone needs to get one. 
Anywhere enjoy guys. 
Follow for more self care cooking recipe ideas. 
#easyrecipesathome #gnocchirecipe #sweetpeas #spinachrecipes #martini #parmesanoreggiano #selfcaretip #wellnessgoals #cookwithlove #nostresscooking #easycookingathome #italiancooking #cookingcommunity #italianfoodblogger #cookingschool #onlinecookingclass #recipevideos
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SAVE THIS RECIPE WHEN YOU ARE IN NEED OF SEXY SELF CARE COOKING. This dish not only slaps in tonnes of flavour it’s the perfect delicious comforting reward after a busy day. It’s an easy and simple recipe to follow which is what we need after a busy day. You need to try it if you enjoy these ingredients: Peas Spinach Leeks Pancetta Gnocchi Lemon Mascarpone (you can use any cream cheese) Using @martini and @parmigianoreggianouk to make sure that this dish taste absolutely banging. And it really does. Plus my flat mates @microplaneintl made sure that I only added the lemon zest and not the pith which can be bitter and affect the flavour of the dish. Everyone needs to get one. Anywhere enjoy guys. Follow for more self care cooking recipe ideas. #easyrecipesathome #gnocchirecipe #sweetpeas #spinachrecipes #martini #parmesanoreggiano #selfcaretip #wellnessgoals #cookwithlove #nostresscooking #easycookingathome #italiancooking #cookingcommunity #italianfoodblogger #cookingschool #onlinecookingclass #recipevideos
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Cooking can calm your mind.
However for some cooking can be so stressful and l may actively avoid it as it feels too much to do after a long busy day.
However over the years I have practised fun mindful cooking. Yes I did say Fun. 😂💃🏻
It takes time but it’s all about changing your mindset and attitude when it comes to cooking. Plus there are some practises that can help to calm your mind down and reduce the stress cooking can cause you. 
Instead of feeling like a chore it can help you  relax after a long busy day. It can help you focus on something else and forget about everything you have had to deal with that day. Plus you get to reward yourself with a delicious meal cooked with love. It’s the best feeling after a crazy busy day.
Working on something fun and helpful for you, but if you currently find cooking difficult or stressful would you mind sharing in the comment lor Dm me what is the main thing that makes it difficult for you. And I’ll take that into consideration when putting my new project together.
We will get this nation with love and your input will help make that change. 
#selfcaretip #cookinglove #mindfulcooking #selfcarecooking #wellnesslifestyle #busymomlife #businessownerlife #eatbetterfeelbetter #cookwithlove #cookingteacher #selfcareeveryday #selfcarehacks #selflovematters #mindfulnessmatters
thetinyitalian
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Cooking can calm your mind. However for some cooking can be so stressful and l may actively avoid it as it feels too much to do after a long busy day. However over the years I have practised fun mindful cooking. Yes I did say Fun. 😂💃🏻 It takes time but it’s all about changing your mindset and attitude when it comes to cooking. Plus there are some practises that can help to calm your mind down and reduce the stress cooking can cause you. Instead of feeling like a chore it can help you relax after a long busy day. It can help you focus on something else and forget about everything you have had to deal with that day. Plus you get to reward yourself with a delicious meal cooked with love. It’s the best feeling after a crazy busy day. Working on something fun and helpful for you, but if you currently find cooking difficult or stressful would you mind sharing in the comment lor Dm me what is the main thing that makes it difficult for you. And I’ll take that into consideration when putting my new project together. We will get this nation with love and your input will help make that change. #selfcaretip #cookinglove #mindfulcooking #selfcarecooking #wellnesslifestyle #busymomlife #businessownerlife #eatbetterfeelbetter #cookwithlove #cookingteacher #selfcareeveryday #selfcarehacks #selflovematters #mindfulnessmatters
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