PUGLIA ON A PLATE

Puglia on

a plate

Roasted nespole with honey, mint and panna cotta ice cream

Nespole, figs, pomegranate and almond can be found growing at Casa Calandra.

Puglia is famous for its homemade pasta; orechiette (little ears) being a good example. Fresh vegetables, cold meat, cheese and seafood will form part of most antipasti courses in restaurants. When buying these in specialist shops and supermarkets, the local equivalents of smoked ham, prosciutto crudo, ‘nazionale’ are of excellent quality and cheaper than the Parma ham imported from the north.

Butchers and supermarkets make their own sausages which are excellent – so if you like the look of some buy them there and then as they don’t always make the same ones two days running! Pork (suino or maiale) is very prominent on butcher’s counters and bombetti, kebab-type sticks of rolled pork, often around cheese, are great grilled or barbecued.

If you’re a vegetarian you won’t be disappointed. Puglia is one giant market garden and most fruit and vegetables are produced locally. Be prepared for big flavours, from tomatoes, green beans, fennel, figs, rocket and artichokes – everything here is locally grown and you can really taste it. Fave e Cicoria is not to be missed; typical Apulian dish, as rustic as it is tasty. There are only two ingredients: cooked and pureed dried broad beans and chicory. Ostuni has a Saturday food market, you’ll see dozens of local farmers selling their produce off the back of their Piaggio Ape.

If you like fish you’re also in for a treat. Villanova is a small fishing port where you’ll find lots of local fishmongers selling their daily catch. Supermarkets too have superb fish counters

Take up the offer or ask to taste the cheeses such as canestrato, pecorino and local examples. If you like blue cheese try the mix of mascarpone and gorgonzola which the local supermarkets sell. Burrata, a type of soft and creamy mozzarella, is divine.

For dessert-lovers, you can buy pre-prepared tiramisu in the Meeting Bar in Casalini and there are some exceptional cake shops in the local towns selling delicious tortas and pastry-based delights. Gelaterias are in abundance and you can usually buy large tubs to take away.

The ubiquitous olive trees betray the huge production of olive oil in Puglia, which locals will tell you is often blended with oil from other regions of Italy to improve their quality – could be just the notorious north/south rivalry at work! Be your own judge and try some samples at the presses. Frantolio D’Amici is just 2.5km from Casa Calandra and makes for a lovely early evening excursion. You can taste test some incredibly fragrant examples with some bread. They also have a shop where you can buy some of the best virgin olive oil around.