Deep blue skies, endless sunshine, sparkling seas, cities steeped in history and delectable food and wine … what more could you ask from a holiday?
The long, slender region of Puglia claims the heel of the Italian boot, yet it remains undiscovered by North Americans.
Now is definitely the time to visit, while prices are still reasonable. “You can pay for a whole dinner in Puglia with what people pay for a pizza in Tuscany,” said local food and wine expert Antonella Millarte
To whet your appetite, here are some gastronomic highlights from a recent trip to this up-and-coming Italian region.
Fave e chicoria – My first meal in Puglia, at the Villa Romanazzi hotel in Bari, began with a beige puddle accompanied by a tangle of cooked dark greens glistening with olive oil. The puddle turned out to be a purée of cooked fava beans, while the greens were boiled and sautéed wild chicory. This famous duo is a perfect example of the local cuisine, humble ingredients that combine to create an exquisite dish. And with so many vegetables on the menu, the region is a paradise for vegetarians.
Burrata – A glossy ball of mozzarella just hours old appeared at my table at Terranima, an unassuming restaurant in downtown Bari that specializes in the freshest local cuisine. The smooth white globe is made of cow’s milk mozzarella, stretched while hot to form a pouch. It’s filled with leftover scraps of mozzarella and topped with fresh cream before being closed tight. Cut into its soft, unctuous interior and savour the rich, buttery flavour and delicate sweetness.
Espressino – Feel like a movie star in the Adriatic port of Trani, north of Bari, overlooking yachts and fishing boats, as you sip chilled espresso mixed with cream and chocolate sauce in one of the many outdoor waterfront cafés. Or beat the heat with a shakerato, an espresso shaken with ice and served in a martini glass. Giuseppe Battista, whose family has roasted coffee in Bari since 1940, noted that espresso has less caffeine than filtered coffee because the beans are in contact with water for such a short time. I also learned of a charming southern Italian pay-it-forward tradition called caffe sospeso. If you’re out celebrating good news, leave a little money behind to gift an espresso to the next person who walks in.
Olio di oliva – With 50 million olive trees, one for every resident of the country, Puglia produces more olive oil than any other region in Italy. You can’t miss the bushy trees with gnarled roots for they’re absolutely everywhere, on the edge of the runway as your plane lands in Bari from Rome and stretching for miles in every direction. One of Puglia’s favourite olive varieties is Coratina, grown in the gently rolling hills surrounding Castel del Monte, the eight-sided castle near Andria, now a UNESCO site, built in the 13th century. Oil made from Coratina is so intensely fruity, you need just a few drops to dress a salad. If you’ve ever wondered why extra virgin olive oil is so expensive, consider that it takes five kilograms of hand-picked olives to press one litre of oil.
Rosso or Bianco? – Even on weeknights, crowds of Barese stroll along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the wide, palm-tree-fringed boulevard that separates the new city – blocks of six-storey apartment buildings – from the churches, palaces, great restaurants and narrow laneways of Bari’s Old Town, flanked on three sides by the Adriatic Sea. Grab a table on any outdoor patio and enjoy a simple pizza from a wood-burning oven or the freshest seafood accompanied by a wine from grapes you’ve probably never heard of. Puglia is actually one of Italy’s three main wine-producing regions. In reds, try Nero di Troia, Negroamaro (black bitter), Aglianico and Primitivo, a cousin of California’s Zinfandel. In whites, look for refreshing Greco di Tufo, along with beautiful rosé wines – my favourite was Rondirosa by Casaltrinita.
Cozza Tarantina – The lively city of Taranto, southeast of Bari, is a major centre for the cultivation of mussels, or cozze, in the Mediterranean. The shiny black bivalves attach themselves to submerged poles and long lines marked by colourful floats bobbing on the bay’s surface. Every few minutes another small motorboat brings a cache of mussels to shore to be placed in a waiting customer’s trunk and driven away. Just up the road is the daily mercatto, where fishermen keep busy opening the raw mussels and displaying them on the half shell. They may even offer you a fresh, salty morsel to taste. Tiella, a beloved Puglian dish, resembles scalloped potatoes combined with mussels and rice. Before leaving, be sure to visit Taranto’s archeological museum, which traces the area’s roots as the capital of ancient Greece.
Orecchiette – For centuries, Puglian mamas have formed these “little ears” of pasta by hand. Even the chunkiest sauce clings to its rough surface and nestles into its curves. This artisanal pasta is still made by hand at Osteria alla Bombarde, tucked into medieval walls steps from the Napoli Gate in the baroque city of Lecce. Tossed with chickpeas and small clams in the shell, orecchiette ceci e vongole is one of several rustic dishes offered for lunch under vaulted ceilings in the restaurant’s cool, quiet dining rooms, once used to store ammunition.
Taralli – North of Bari, in the province of Foggia, the olive trees and vineyards give way to golden wheat fields. This fertile plain is Italy’s granary, providing the wheat used for pasta, loaves of rustic bread and Puglia’s famous savoury biscuits called taralli. Made of wheat flour, water, extra virgin olive oil, white wine and a pinch of fennel or other spices, these brittle rings of dough are boiled then baked, just like bagels. Originally made to sustain farmers during long days in the fields, today they make the perfect snack – light, tasty and healthy – to serve on their own or with a glass of wine. In fact, leading company Fiore di Puglia recently sent its first shipment of taralli to Canada.
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