Puglia Food and Wine: 5 delicatessens to try

Among the Italian regional cuisines, the Puglia food and wine tradition excels for its local productions and tasteful delicatessens. Its reputation is acknowledged worldwide and it is absolutely worth a mention in the list of experiences you want to live on your next trip.

As your stroll among the most beautiful beaches and enchanting little borgos, take your time to explore and taste some of the typical Puglia dishes and live your Apulian travel to its fullest.

Join us to discover the Puglia Food and Wine tradition and book your next stay in our luxury villas in Puglia to experience its gastronomic treasures. We will introduce you to fresh, handmade pasta, typical street and fried food, excellent dairy productions and unforgettable wine to taste during your next holiday in Puglia!

Fresh, homemade pasta from Puglia

Like any Italian region, also Puglia has its own handmade pasta-making tradition. In Puglia food and wine culture, fresh pasta covers a predominant role in the whole area, being one of the main dishes in any Apulian lunch.

Puglia handmade pasta differs from any other. It is made with only two ingredients: flour and water (plus a pinch of salt, of course). The absence of eggs makes it way lighter than the traditional Italian pasta and perfect for a light lunch before swimming in the turquoise water.

Among the many shapes, you have to try the world-famous Orecchiette, with their typical concave form which makes them perfect to collect the sauce. You can taste the traditional dish Orecchiette con Cime di Rapa (orecchiette with turnip tops) in all the traditional restaurants, but if you want to plunge yourself into the Orecchiette tradition, the best way is to take a stroll along the streets in Bari Vecchia and join the Pasta Grannies for a fantastic cooking class.

During a pasta cooking class in Puglia, you may also learn how to make the Fusilli al ferretto, a typical Puglia pasta which is made with the help of an iron wand. Their shapes make them perfect for collecting all the tomato and basil sauce they are usually served with.

Another pasta dish you need to try is the Cavatelli. The original recipe is with chickpeas, mussels and clams: this dish is an authentic explosion of sea savours! 

Puglia Street Food

Besides pasta, Puglia is also famous for its Street Food tradition. Street food is the perfect solution for when you stroll around the city or want to take with you something to eat on the beach, or even if you just want to experience Puglia food and wine to the deepest.

You must try the typical Focaccia Barese, a very fluffy and oiled bread garnished with tomatoes and olives, and some of the most typical Puglia sandwiches:

1. The Puccia Salentina, typical of the Salento Area, with a round shape. Fill it with vegetables, cheese and fish to eat it as a local! 
2. The Paposcia del Gargano, that you can find around Foggia on the northern part of Puglia. It is a sandwich typically filled up with local ingredients such as olive oil, tomatoes and caciocavallo, or whatever you feel like tasting!
3. The Panino col Polpo (Octopus Sandwich). This symbol of the Puglia food and wine tradition needs no explanation. It is one of the most iconic delicatessen of Puglia and you can taste it directly facing the immensity of the sea in Polignano a Mare

You can try all of these dishes by joining a Street Food Tour. You can find them in Bari, Polignano, and Lecce, and we will be happy to find the perfect accommodation for your gastronomical needs in these cities!

Fried dishes in Puglia

The Happy Hour in Puglia is incomplete without a bunch of tasty, fried dishes to taste. The king of the fried dishes in Puglia is the Panzerotto, a dough pouch that is typically filled with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and basil leaves (or any other filling you may want to taste) and fried in lard or oil.

You should also try the famous Bombette, little balls of horse or pig meat filled with cheese, typically Caciocavallo. In Puglia, you can find them in the Itria Valley, among Alberobello, Cisternino and Locorotondo.

If you are enjoying your sea holiday in Puglia, it can be easy for you to fall in love with the Paranza, a mix of fried fish and seafood to taste with a splash of lemon juice. It consists of a savoury mix of shrimp, squid rings, anchovies, and codfish to garnish an unforgettable holiday in Puglia. 

Puglia’s dairy production

During a trip to Puglia, you cannot miss tasting the exquisite dairy production of the region. Here, the Mediterranean Sun and the sea breeze guarantee a top-quality range of products, many of which already have the IGP or DOP label. 

You can taste dairy products with the traditional dishes of Apulian Cuisine, or enjoy a gastronomical tour right inside the farms to plunge into their true essence and learn about the secrets of cheese-making techniques. 

Here are our favourite dairy products of Puglia we suggest you taste:

• Caciocavallo cheese, with its typical shape and a delicate, sweet taste. You can find it classical, but also “drunken” with Primitivo di Manduria red wine (it ages in the wine barrels) or, for something even more particular, aged into grottos;
• Cacioricotta cheese, a fresh cheese to taste with some crispy bread and seasoning
• Pecorino delle Murge, made with sheep milk in the Altopiano delle Murge. Also in this case there is a “drunken” version where the cheese ages in Primitivo barrels;
• Burrata di Andria with IGP label, a spunt paste cheese made of cow milk, fresh cream and cheese. It can resemble a Buffalo Mozzarella: it preserves a creamy filling of cream and spun paste worked by hand;
• Canestrato Pugliese with DOP label, made with sheep milk and decorated with its unique mould.

Wines of Puglia

Last but not least, your food and wine tour of Puglia cannot be completed without a wine-tasting experience.

Puglia is famous worldwide for its enological production, and with good reason. In Puglia the soil is fertile, the Sun gently caresses the grapes and the breeze from the sea brings the sweetness of the Mediterranean life.

Every glass of Apulian wine is an experience you will not forget.

You for sure have to taste the Primitivo di Manduria and the Negroamaro, two of the most appreciated red Italian wines. If you feel like drinking white wine, enjoy a cold, refreshing bottle of Salice Salentino. 

As you can see, Puglia food and wine tradition well deserves a one-in-a-lifetime travel. Experience the local production of Eno-gastronomical gems will be among the best memories you will take with you from your Apulian trip.

Among handmade pasta, dairy products, street and fried food and exquisite wines, do not forget to enjoy your stay in Puglia. Do it at your best by booking one of our luxurious, private villas. Their large spaces and equipment will make you live the best holiday of your life.

Suitable also for big families and groups of friends, they will gift you unforgettable memories.

Start dreaming of your Apulian stay with IsulaTravel!