Wheat, olives, vines and countless authentic dishes. This is a Puglia to savour.
Puglia, known as the land of olive groves and wheat fields, boasts innumerable food and wine trails in search of typical, local products.
Its wheat products include fresh pasta, “taralli”, unforgettable Altamura bread (the only DOP trademark bread in Italy) and “frise”.
The cheeses from the “Capitanata” area, near Foggia, include Caciocavallo (a mature, stretched curd cheese), Pecorino (seasoned or unseasoned sheep’s milk cheese) and ricotta.
The Andria region also boasts a wide variety of mouth-watering specialities, including “burrata”, “giuncata” and mozzarella.
Traditional cakes and pastries include “Mandorle Riccie” (sugar-coated almonds), from Francavilla Fontana near Brindisi, “Mostarda Salentina” made from boiled grape must, sweet “Cartellate” fritters dipped in Vin Cotto and, Lecce’s exquisite “Pasticciotto” custard tarts.
Thanks to the creativity of local chefs and restaurants, many of these local specialties have become famous throughout Italy. So be prepared to sample delights, such as “focaccia”, rice, potatoes and mussels, “orecchiette alle cime di rapa” (orecchiette pasta with rabe buds), stuffed “calzone”-style bread and many other treats in tours planned by our expert guides.
From a visit to the famous dairies of the Andria region to tasting Altamura’s unforgettable bread and then down to Lecce to discover Salento’s fine wines, this tour is a splendid introduction to this area’s many fine tastes and flavours.
This charming introduction to Puglia’s natural landscapes and fine wines is based around the site of the “Challenge of Barletta” tournament. Its combination of nature, history and fine food and wine is designed to introduce visitors to the multi-faceted character of this splendid region.