On this put up, I’m going to give attention to my favourite factor about Puglia. Whereas this southern Italian area has no scarcity of implausible places to visit and things to see, for me, the meals in Puglia is the true purpose to go to.
A number of of my favourite dishes are Puglian classics. There’s simply one thing in regards to the simplicity and freshness of typical Puglian meals that I actually love, and it pairs so nicely with the area’s scrumptious wine.
I just lately frolicked in Puglia and ate extremely nicely each day that I used to be there. Listed here are 15 of the perfect and hottest meals in Puglia – I like to recommend attempting as many of those as you presumably can!
15 Foods to Strive in Puglia
No matter your dietary necessities or preferences, you’re positive to search out meals in Puglia that you simply’ll love. From recent pasta and seafood to baked treats and (in fact) gelato, you gained’t go hungry right here.
I eat all the things, though for numerous causes I do attempt to scale back the quantity of meat that I eat. Fortunately, among the finest dishes in Puglia are vegetarian, and much more are pescatarian.
I’ve eaten the entire following must-try dishes in Puglia, and might wholeheartedly suggest all of them – occupied with them makes my mouth water!
1. Orecchiette (Most Well-known Puglia Meals to Strive)
This scrumptious and conventional pasta is without doubt one of the hottest meals in Puglia and might be the area’s most well-known dish. It’s made merely of durum wheat flour and water and is molded by hand into a particular ‘ear’ form which provides it its title (“orecchio“, the phrase for “ear” in Italian).
The historical past of orecchiette goes again centuries and the dish has been an necessary a part of Puglian delicacies for generations. Within the slim alleyways of Bari’s old town (Bari Vecchia), you possibly can watch girls making orecchiette by hand on picket tables – it’s some of the iconic things to see in the city.
Orecchiette is often served with a easy sauce and greens, although there are a lot of variations. My private favourite is “broccoli rabe“, a sauce produced from a bitter leafy inexperienced vegetable a bit like spinach, and loads of garlic.
Yow will discover orecchiette on the menu of most eating places in Puglia. One of the best I’ve ever tasted was at a tiny place referred to as Assaporando le Delizie Pugliesi in Bari Vecchia.
Assaporando le Delizie Pugliesi Data
Deal with: Vico San Cristoforo, 1, 70122 Bari BA, Italy
Cellphone: +39 327 375 0130
Working Hours: 10:30 am–10:30 pm, Tues-Solar (closed Mondays)
Common Value of Dish: €8
Web site: assaporando-le-delizie-pugliesi.business.site
2. Focaccia Barese
This conventional Puglian bread initially comes from town of Bari and is often served as an appetizer, paired excellently with native olive oil. It’s manufactured from a easy dough that’s seasoned generously with rosemary and salt, then topped with tomatoes, onions, and olives.
The result’s unbelievable. Good focaccia barese is wealthy but gentle, crispy on the skin, fluffy on the within, and by no means too oily. It’s considered one of my favourite issues to eat in Puglia and I’m at all times excited each time it arrives on the desk.
For those who’re planning to spend time in Bari (and it’s best to), decide up some freshly baked focaccia from Magda. In addition to being an incredible bakery, that is additionally top-of-the-line locations to eat in Puglia when you’re touring on a finances.
Magda Data
Deal with: Via Prospero Petroni, 32A, 70121 Bari BA, Italy
Cellphone: +39 080 524 2207
Working Hours: 7am–8:30pm, Mon-Sat; 9am–8:30pm, Solar
Common Value of Dish: €4 for a big one
Web site: panificiomagda.com
3. Fave e Cicoria
This conventional dish from Puglia combines fava beans, chicory, garlic, and olive oil. This easy mixture of substances creates a hearty soup that’s filled with taste and diet.
Fave e cicoria is often served as a starter however will also be loved by itself. It’s considered one of my favourite dishes in Puglia and I really like how comforting it’s – excellent for cooler winter evenings, however actually scrumptious any time of 12 months.
An incredible place to do this dish in Monopoli is the upmarket Angolocinque Restaurant, subsequent to the Largo Fontanelle park.
Angolocinque Restaurant Data
Deal with: Via G. Barnaba, 7, 70043 Monopoli BA, Italy
Cellphone: +39 348 374 2987
Working Hours: 7:30 pm–11:30 pm, Mon; 12 pm–3 pm & 7:30 pm–11:30 pm, Tues-Solar
Common Value of Dish: €10
Web site: N/A
4. Polpette di Ricotta
These scrumptious cheese and herb balls are typical Puglian snacks. They’re produced from stale bread, ricotta, garlic, parsley, and grated parmesan, and are deep-fried till they’re golden brown.
Polpette di ricotta is often served as an antipasto or starter however will also be loved by itself. Good ones aren’t too heavy however are extremely flavorful.
In addition to the ricotta selection, polpette comes in numerous different varieties, together with ones containing meat, greens, and/or fish. Generally they’re served by themselves, or different instances in a wealthy sauce, the place they tackle the consistency of dumplings.
Polpette may be discovered on menus all through Puglia. One of the best ones I tasted had been at a spot referred to as Per Bacco in Bari.
Per Bacco Data
Deal with: Via Francesco Saverio Abbrescia, 99, 70121 Bari BA, Italy
Cellphone: +39 080 558 8563
Working Hours: 1 pm–2:30 pm & 8 pm–11:30 pm, Mon-Fri; 8 pm–11:30 pm, Sat; closed Sundays
Common Value of Dish: €9
Web site: N/A
5. Taralli
Taralli comes in many shapes, sizes, and flavors, however the conventional selection from Puglia is usually made with flour, white wine, olive oil, and salt. They’re crunchy rings of dough which have been boiled earlier than baking – this offers them an additional particular texture which makes them actually addictive!
My favourite type additionally comprises both chili or fennel seeds. They pair completely with wine or an ice-cold beer.
Taralli is a superb snack to get pleasure from whilst you’re out exploring or throughout a picnic lunch. At any time when I’m in southern Italy, I eat so many of those, (I feel I might need a slight downside).
You should buy baggage of taralli in nearly each store and grocery store in Puglia for a few euros, and plenty of bars and eating places will serve them as a snack to get pleasure from with an aperitivo. Taralli Mitica is my favourite model – when you see these anyplace, purchase them!
6. Burrata
No journey to Puglia can be full with out attempting burrata, a kind of cheese made with mozzarella and cream. It’s some of the widespread meals in the area and also you’ll discover it on many restaurant menus.
Burrata is creamy and scrumptious – excellent for spreading onto salty focaccia or pairing with tomatoes and basil as an appetizer. Historically it was made utilizing buffalo milk, however cows’ milk is used extra typically now. I’ve tasted each sorts and, truthfully, they’re equally as tasty!
Yow will discover burrata on most menus in Puglia. Most just lately, I had it at Cime Di Tapas in Monopoli and it was excellent.
Cime Di Tapas Data
Deal with: Corso Umberto I, 8-10, 70043 Monopoli BA, Italy
Cellphone: +39 080 645 6624
Working Hours: 12 pm–2 am, Thu-Tue (closed Wednesdays)
Common Value of Dish: €5
Web site: facebook.com/cimeditapas
7. Tiella
Some of the conventional dishes in Puglia, tiella is a layered combination of rice, potatoes, and mussels. It’s often cooked in a terracotta pan over an open hearth which provides it an unbelievable, subtly smoky taste.
Even when you don’t like mussels, you possibly can nonetheless get pleasure from different forms of this superb dish. A preferred vegetarian selection is made with eggplant and zucchini.
The mix of substances in tiella makes it a hearty meal that’s excellent for any event. It’s typically served with some crusty bread and accompanied by a glass of white wine.
Ristorante Tiella is a superb place to get pleasure from this iconic dish in Bari.
Ristorante Tiella Data
Deal with: Via Salvatore Cognetti, 13, 70121 Bari BA, Italy
Cellphone: +39 080 523 6960
Working Hours: 12:30 pm–3 pm & 7:30 pm–12 am, Tues-Fri; 12:30 pm–3:30 pm & 7:30 pm–12 am, Sat-Solar; closed Mondays
Common Value of Dish: €8
Web site: tiellapulia.it
8. Fritto Misto
This scrumptious dish combines a number of seafood and/or greens, that are evenly coated in flour and fried. Consider it as a bit like Puglian tempura.
Fritto misto is often simply served with lemon juice and salt, though some locations provide different sauces on the aspect too. It’s some of the widespread dishes in Puglia and may be discovered on many restaurant menus, in addition to from meals vehicles and out of doors stands in most main cities.
As an affordable and fast meal on the go, fritto misto is tough to beat. A tiny meals truck in Monopoli referred to as Mare Chef serves the perfect fritto misto I’ve ever tasted. For those who’re in city, it’s best to undoubtedly do this place.
Mare Chef Data
Deal with: Via Procaccia, 1, 70043 Monopoli BA, Italy
Cellphone: +39 380 383 5269
Working Hours: 7 pm–12 am, Mon-Tues & Thurs-Fri; 7 pm–12:30 am, Sat-Solar; closed Wednesdays
Common Value of Dish: €6 for 250 grams; €11 for half-kilogram
Web site: N/A
9. Gelato
I do know you may get gelato in every single place in Italy, however the gelato in Puglia is among the best possible. It’s creamy, clean, and extremely wealthy.
Scrumptious at any time of day (or evening), a scoop or two of high-quality gelato is without doubt one of the finest issues to get pleasure from after a typical meal in Puglia.
A few of the tastiest gelato I discovered in Puglia was at Gasperini, in Monopoli. Strive their pistachio crunch and their chocolate orange fondant. Though it’s technically not gelato, their darkish chocolate sorbet can be unreal.
For those who’re in Bari, Antica Gelateria Gentile, subsequent to the Castello Svevo, is equally superb.
Gasperini Data
Deal with: Largo Plebiscito, 9, 70043 Monopoli BA, Italy
Cellphone: +39 348 541 3485
Working Hours: 7 am–12 am, Mon-Solar
Common Value of Dish: €3 for two scoops
Web site: gelateriagasperini.it
10. Cartellate
These fried pastries are often served as a dessert and are historically eaten in the course of the festive winter interval, though yow will discover them in bakeries all year long.
They’re produced from flour, white wine, olive oil, and sugar, and are pressed into shapes like small stars or flowers.
The cartellate are then soaked in heat honey and sprinkled with icing sugar. The sweetness of the pastry mixed with the sticky honey is really divine. They make the proper ending to a typical meal in Puglia.
An incredible place to choose up some genuine cartellate is Pino Ladisa Pasticcere Cioccolatiere – a implausible little pastry store in Bari, simply south of town heart.
Pino Ladisa Pasticcere Cioccolatiere Data
Deal with: Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII, 199, 70124 Bari BA, Italy
Cellphone: +39 080 523 2161
Working Hours: 7 am–9 pm, Tues-Solar (closed Mondays)
Common Value of Dish: €1 every
Web site: pinoladisa.it
11. Pettole
These are primarily Puglian donuts, and so they’re an actual deal with! They’re small balls of dough which have been deep-fried and are often served with numerous sauces or sprinkled with sugar.
You may get candy pettole and savory pettole, and a few are even savory-sweet. Any manner you may have them, they’re extremely moreish – it’s virtually inconceivable to only eat one!
The savory ones are usually served as appetizers (generally filled with cheese or mushrooms), whereas the candy ones make nice desserts (particularly in the event that they’ve been dipped in honey).
Pettole will also be discovered in bakeries and avenue meals stalls all through Puglia, and likewise characteristic on many restaurant menus in numerous varieties. In Bari, they’re identified domestically as popizze however are in any other case the identical.
Among the finest locations to strive them in Bari is Atena Focacce, which is positioned just a few doorways down from Magda, so you can too decide up some unbelievable focaccia Barese on the identical time.
Atena Focacce Data
Deal with: Via Scipione Crisanzio, 8/A, 70122 Bari BA, Italy
Cellphone: +39 348 383 7725
Working Hours: 9:30 am–3 pm, Mon-Fri; 9:30 am–2 pm, Sat; closed Sundays
Common Value of Dish: €1 every
Web site: N/A
12. Melanzane Ripiene
A well-known dish of Puglia, that is primarily an eggplant filled with a meat combination (although you can too get veggie variations), tomatoes, and herbs. The ensuing taste is just scrumptious – the sweetness of the eggplant combines with the salty flavors of the filling to make one thing actually mouthwatering.
Melanzane ripiene is often served as a fundamental course and is ideal with some crusty bread and a glass or two of pink wine. It’s considered one of my favourite dishes from Puglia and I wish to recreate it at residence sometimes too.
If you end up in Ostuni, I like to recommend attempting this implausible Puglian specialty at Osteria Monacelle.
Osteria Monacelle Data
Deal with: Via Cattedrale, Via P. Vincenti, 72017 Ostuni, Italy
Cellphone: +39 083 133 4212
Working Hours: 12 pm–3 pm & 7 pm–11 pm, Mon-Solar
Common Value of Dish: €15
Web site: osteriamonacelle.com
13. Panzerotti
One other well-known dish in Puglia is panzerotti. These are small parcels of pizza dough with a pocket of filling – a bit like mini calzones. They’re often deep-fried and served heat, so that they make the proper fast lunch or snack on the go.
There are all types of fillings obtainable, from cheese and tomato to spinach and ricotta, however my favourite needs to be the normal model with mozzarella and tomato.
You gained’t wrestle to search out these tasty treats throughout Puglia, so you’ll want to give them a strive whenever you’re there. In Bari’s Outdated City, Bakery Santa Rita serves significantly good ones.
Bakery Santa Rita Data
Deal with: Str. dei Dottula, 8, 70122 Bari BA, Italy
Cellphone: +39 346 616 9152
Working Hours: 8:30 am–2 pm & 6:15 pm–9:15 pm, Mon-Sat; closed Sundays
Common Value of Dish: €2-3
Web site: N/A
14. Caciocavallo
For those who’re a cheese lover, then you definitely’ll undoubtedly need to strive caciocavallo. This Puglian laborious cheese is produced from the milk of sheep or cows and has a barely tangy taste.
It’s typically served as an appetizer with some slices of cured meats and olives, however will also be used in cooking too.
You’ll discover this in cheese retailers and bigger supermarkets throughout Puglia. For those who occur to search out your self in Martina Franca, try Caseificio Pioggia – a very implausible cheese store.
Caseificio Pioggia Data
Deal with: Via Gaetano Grassi, 26, 74015 Martina Franca TA, Italy
Cellphone: +39 080 480 0550
Working Hours: 8 am–1 pm & 5 pm–8:30 pm, Mon-Sat; 9 am–12 pm, Solar
Common Value of Dish: €8 for 500g
Web site: pioggiastore.it
15. Pasticciotti
Pasticciotti is a conventional Puglian pastry that’s made with a candy crust and full of custard. It’s often served at room temperature, however will also be heated and served with cream or gelato.
They make an amazing snack or dessert and may be discovered in just about any bakery or cafe all through the area.
In Ostuni, they’re significantly good at Bar Pasticceria da Pasquale.
Bar Pasticceria da Pasquale Data
Deal with: Via Fran. Tanz. Vitale, 72017 Ostuni BR, Italy
Cellphone: +39 083 133 5872
Working Hours: 5 am–1:30 pm, Mon; 5 am–9 pm, Tues-Solar
Common Value of Dish: €1.50
Web site: N/A
Greatest Meals Excursions in Puglia
Among the finest methods to expertise as a lot of Puglia’s iconic dishes as potential is to hitch a meals tour. There are numerous to select from, however listed here are among the most extremely reviewed:
Bari Strolling Avenue Meals Tour
This three-hour walking tour is the proper method to familiarize your self with the Puglian capital and a few of its tastiest delicacies.
Alberobello: Strolling Meals Tour
This (*15*) takes place in the distinctive UNESCO World Heritage Web site of Alberobello. Your information will educate you in regards to the well-known trulli homes that town is thought for and provide the alternative to style a variety of native cheeses, meats, and wines.
Bike Tour & Pasta Making Expertise
Discover Bari by bike and learn to make your personal orecchiette by hand the normal manner on this fun 2-hour tour.
Bari Avenue Meals Tour on Segway
This Segway tour of Bari focuses on the preferred kinds of avenue meals in Puglia and can take you to discover among the metropolis’s prettiest corners and hidden gems.
Bari Rickshaw Avenue Meals Tour
For those who, like me, can’t fairly get the dangle of using a Segway, you might choose this rickshaw street food tour as a substitute.
Puglia Meals: FAQs
Listed here are solutions to a couple commonly-asked questions in regards to the typical meals in Puglia.
Probably the most conventional native meals in Puglia embrace orecchiette pasta, focaccia, taralli, polpette, and tiella.
Dinner in Puglia usually begins round 8 pm, though it could actually begin earlier or later relying on the actual restaurant you’re visiting. If you wish to eat in a well-liked restaurant for dinner, it’s finest to make a reservation forward of time as many locations refill rapidly.
Lunch in Puglia often begins at 12 pm and goes on till 2-3 pm.
There isn’t actually a set time for breakfast in Puglia and plenty of locals are likely to skip it altogether. A typical breakfast in Puglia typically consists of a espresso and a easy pastry, everytime you get up and really feel prefer it. Cafes typically open round 8 am.
Bari, the capital of Puglia, has the widest number of glorious eating places and cafes serving up all types of regional dishes. Lecce and Monopoli are additionally identified for his or her excellent seafood.
A small tip is at all times appreciated, though not strictly essential. For those who obtain glorious service in a restaurant, a ten% tip will likely be nicely obtained.
Pasta is a staple meals of Puglia, particularly orecchiette. Bread reminiscent of focaccia Barese can be widespread. As you’d anticipate, seafood is especially widespread on the coast.
In Conclusion
With a lot number of meals on provide, it may be laborious to resolve what to eat in Puglia first. Wherever you go and no matter dishes you strive, it’s positive to be an unforgettable expertise.
I really like the straightforward, home-cooking type of Puglian delicacies, and having fun with it’s at all times a spotlight of my journey. My two favorites are orecchiette with broccoli rabe and focaccia Barese – if I may eat these each week, I completely would!
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