Regionalism is a strong feature in Italy. In architecture, dialect, and most importantly food. Here are 15 foods you must eat in Puglia in order to experience the true culture.
Each region in Italy has unique dishes that are only offered in those specific areas. Forget the usual 3 Ps: pizza, pasta, and prosciuttos. I’m talking deeper. Food is at the heart of Italian culture. To the point where if you drive 30 minutes north or south, you can’t find that food or beverage anymore. It’s a representation of our history and people. Obscure recipes that have been passed down through generations and can only be found in these niche villages throughout Italy. No Puglia itinerary would be complete without a section dedicated section to food. Here are the essential 15 foods and drinks you must eat in Puglia and where to find them based on your region.
1. “Special Coffee” or Caffè Speciale
Location: Only available in Polignano a Mare at the historical gelateria Il Super Mago del Gelo.
This “special coffee” is a cooler take on an espresso martini and has been around for 100 years in Polignano a Mare. It is served hot and is composed of 5 magical ingredients: espresso, sugar, artisanal amaretto made from crushed almonds (the liqueur), cream and lemon peel. The secret recipe is the artisanal amaretto. Il Super Mago del Gelo has been owned by the Campanella family since 1938. Giuseppe Campanella was the first to open the bar. He originally was an almond vendor, which is what makes their liqueur so special. His son Mario was the one who invented il Caffè Speciale and from then on it was history.
2. Caffè Leccese
Location: Only available in the Salento region.
Because Caffè Leccese is only available in Salento, it is also known as the Caffè Salentino. It’s a traditional iced coffee served with…you guessed it–artisanal almond syrup. Starting to see the reliance and trend with almonds here? This was my go-to throughout my entire time in Puglia. If you hate the taste of straight black coffee (like my mom does), than this is the drink for you. Caffè Leccesse is one of my favorites by far, especially on those hot summer days. So much that when I came home, I proceeded to buy an almond milk syrup and make myself a caffè leccese every once in a while for breakfast. It was never the same, but if I close my eyes and dream hard enough, I can transport myself back to Puglia.
3. Pasticciotto
Location: Only available in the Salento region, specifically in the Province of Lecce.
In Salento, morning and afternoon coffees are often accompanied by a pasticciotto. These insanely good baked goods are a wide, thick, brick shaped baked good filled with an abundant pastry cream filling and are a must eat in Puglia. Honestly, the closest I can get to describing it is a pastry that upon savoring evokes all the color and warmth of the sunny Salento region. There’s a reason the pasticciotto has been named the gastronomic symbol of Salento. Legend has it that the pasticciotto was born in the neighboring Greek town of Galatina at Pasticceria Ascalone in 1745. Following a town festival honoring the local Saint Paolo, Pasticceria Ascalone’s baker was asked to use the leftover pastry dough to create a new pastry. And the pasticciotto was born. Therefore, if you’re super dedicated and want a taste of the original, try heading to Galatina and search for Pasticerria Ascalone.
4. Friselle
Location: Available throughout all of Puglia.
Friselle are also sold in Naples and Calabria, but there are 2 things that make the Friselle in Puglia different. The first is that the Friselle in Puglia are also known as the bread of the crusaders. Because of its long preservation, it was one of the main foods of Christian troops during the long Crusades journeys throughout Puglia. Naples does not have the same origin story. The second is that Friselle are made using a particular Apulian tool called “sponza-frise,” a particular bowl made of Grottaglie ceramics. Friselle are a typical Apulian food made with durum wheat bread that is soaked in water, then baked, and topped with tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper. The shape looks like that of a half open bagel. When reading about how it’s made I was convinced it would taste like a bruschetta. But it was totally different in both taste and consistency. Friselle have no garlic and the bread is hard and crispy, or croccante as we say in Italian. The bread reminded me of fette biscotatte, or rusks.
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5. Puccia
Location: Only available in the Salento region.
On my bucket list of traditional Apulian street foods that one must eat in Puglia is Puccia. Puccia used to be eaten by workers who would go out into the countryside for work. It is a local Salentino bread made in a wood fire oven. Puccia tastes like a pizza bread that is empty on the inside making it a perfect sandwich to pack with whatever ingredients you’d like. Being on the coast, I ordered a Puccia with octopus, chicory, dried tomato, and mozzarella when I was visiting Otranto at a place called Postofiso. Out of all the Apulian delicacies I had on my trip, it was up there in terms of street food. I preferred it to the Frisa I had in Gallipoli, but it in no way beat the pasticiotto, caffe leccese, and panzerotto — sorry Puccia!
6. Il Rustico Leccese
Location: Only available in the Salento region.
Although il rustico Leccese is considered a street food today, it’s actually one of the few foods that doesn’t originate from the working man. This flaky puff pastry with Greco-Byzantine origins has been reinvented to fit Italian tastes. It’s usually stuffed with mozzarella, tomatoes and besciamella (that delicious cream you find in Lasagna). Because of it’s harder to acquire ingredients such as puff pastry and besciamella, it was likely an artistocratic food made in the late 1700s when besciamella became widespread.
7. Fave e Cicori
Location: Only available in the Salento region.
Chickpea cream of soup is an old, traditional and simple fare meal from the coast of Salento. It’s considered “simple fare” because it’s made with “poor” ingredients as they call them — aka affordable and accessible ingredients in the area. It was a meal that was always present on farmers and countrymen’s tables alongside other legumes like beans. Their protein was a substitute for meat that was too expensive and considered a luxury. It’s a simple meal, but in it is preserved the tradition and excellence of nonne who were able to turn a simple dish into a savory delicacy now offered at restaurants. It’s the best way to flavor the story of Salento and it’s people which is why it’s a must eat in Puglia. I had my first zuppa di ceci in Nardò at an antique Osteria.
8. Panino Cegliese
Location: Only available in Ceglie Messapica, Valle D’Itria.
It’s a small, soft Rosetta bread roll stuffed with spicy provolone, tuna, capers and mortadella. The panino was invented post World War II. The idea was to combine 4 very different ingredients from 4 different provinces into one delicious and united panino protected by Rosetta bread, the typical bread post WWII. The best places to get this piccante sandwich is from Giuseppina, in front of the Piazza Plebiscito Belltower, or Signora Lucetta Zito in the center of Ceglie Messapica. If you visit Ceglie, it’s a must eat in Puglia. You’ll only be here once!
9. Biscotti Cegliesi
Location: Only available in Ceglie Messapica, Valle D’Itria.
10. Panzerotti
Location: Available throughout all of Puglia.
Panzerotti are a typical Apulian street food that’s often confused with a calzone. Please–no, evita as I would say in Italian. Avoid making that mistake. Panzerotti are a dry, doughy fried pastry made in a moon-shape that’s served piping hot with various fillings. The standard is mozzarella and cheese, but there is also prosciutto, pesto etc. I had one on my last day in Alberobello from a small, unpretentious Panificio on the outskirts called Panificio ‘Casa del Pane’ di Recchia Maria. Trust me, this is the spot. I ran back and bought another Panzerotto for the plane ride home that day. That’s how good they were. Panzerotti are available all around Puglia. Some of my favorite places to eat them around the world include Luini in Milano and Panzerotti Bites in New York.
11. Orecchiette con Cime di Rapa
Location: Available throughout all of Puglia.
Fun fact: Orecchiette con cime di rapa, aka Orecchiette pasta with broccoli rabe were invented in Puglia. Something many people don’t know. And I’m not just talking about the sauce. The actual pasta, orecchiette were invented here as well. During our time in Puglia, broccoli rabe must’ve been out of season because we couldn’t find it anywhere. But on our last night in Puglia, in a delicious Osteria in Grottaglie, we found Orecchiette with horse meat. So I went for it. And my god, was it the real deal. Everything served, including the pasta, was made in-house by a mamma everyday. It was one of the best Orecchiette I have had to date.
12. Pezzetti di Cavallo, or Pieces of Horse
Location: Only available in the Salento region.
Piggybacking off of the last image I posted above, the orecchiette I had were served with Pezzetti di Cavallo. It’s a typical horse meat dish in the Salento region. It’s like a concentrated meat with tomato sauce. Every bite reveals the hidden influence that the gypsy’s had on the Apulian land.
13. Taralli
Location: Available throughout all of Puglia.
These small crispy rings of dough are usually served with aperitivo. They’re like a fancier bread stick, if you think of it. These small bites have a bit of a sad story. They were created out of a necessity by late 8th century working men and women of Puglia who wanted to make something edible out of left-over scraps of dough since they were starving. I guess today we use them in a similar capacity…when we’re starving and have to wait for dinner to be ready, we snack on these to fill the void.
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14. Pettole
Location: Available throughout all of Puglia, but only during the holiday season.
Pettole are fried dough balls that are typical in Southern Italy, however the name changes depending on what region your in. In Puglia, they are called pettole. The food was a biproduct of Albanian people and culture integrating with Italian culture in the 15th century. The story goes that a woman in Taranto got distracted by the locals playing Tarentine music (in another version of the story she got distracted by San Francesco D’Assisi!) and left her dough sitting for too long. She got creative and decided to use it in a different way rather than have it go to waste. That’s how pettole were born.
Every year, Pettole get fried in Taranto on Nov 22 for Santa Cecilia when locals spend the entire day going around town playing typical Tarentine music. On this night, the pettole represent the start of the Christmas season. However, each region in Puglia prepares them, eats them and consumes them at different times during the holiday season based on their local culture. For example, in the province of Lecce they get fried on November 11th to celebrate San Martino and the end of the wine fermentation process. In Valle d’Itria they get made on December 7th for a special vigil. And the dates and stories go on by region…
There are two types of versions of pettole. The saltine version is served with a pinch of salt, tomato sauce and grated cheese. Almost like a deconstructed Panzerotto. The sweeter version, the one I prefer, is served during Christmastime with sugar and cooked grape must.
15. Spumone
Location: Only available in Otranto, Province of Lecce.
The origins of this gelato-like dessert are a bit shady. Some say it was started in Naples by a French chef, others say it started in the region of Salento. However, you can really only find Spumone in the Salento region of Puglia anymore as it’s been phased out of Naples…so I lean towards it being invented in Salento. Spumone is a classic and typical Salentino semi-freddo of sorts. It’s cone like shape is made with chocolate and hazelnut gelato and filled with sponge cake and rum liquor. There’s only a few places that sell it in Otranto including Martinucci Caffetterie and Pasticceria Merola. It’s a perfect replacement for your typical gelato on a hot summers day. And the fact that it’s only available in Otranto makes it a must eat in Puglia if you visit the region. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity!
>> Next: Puglia Itinerary: A 7 Day Road Trip
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