Puglia is an Italian region located in the south-east of the country and is renowned for its beautiful landscape, rich culture and cuisine. Its cuisine has been influenced by its Mediterranean climate and history. It is known for its use of fresh produce, olive oil and seafood, as well as its traditional pasta dishes.
Fresh Produce
Puglia’s cuisine utilizes many types of fresh produce including tomatoes, eggplants, artichokes, peppers, olives and capers. These ingredients are often used to make sauces or salads. The region is also known for its unique pickled vegetables, like cicoriella – a type of chicory – or zucchini alla poverella – diced zucchini pickled with garlic and herbs.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is a staple ingredient in Puglia’s cooking. The region produces some of the best extra virgin olive oils in Italy.
It is often used to dress salads or drizzled over grilled dishes like bruschetta or seafood.
Seafood
Puglia has a long coastline which provides access to plenty of seafood including anchovies, mussels, sardines and tuna. The most popular seafood dish is the frittura di paranza – a fried fish platter usually made with squid, shrimp and prawns.
Pasta Dishes
Pasta dishes are very popular in Puglia and include orecchiette con cime di rapa – small ear-shaped pasta with turnip greens – as well as various stuffed pastas such as ravioli filled with ricotta cheese or orecchiette con le rape – small ear-shaped pasta with turnips.
Conclusion:
Puglia is famous for its fresh produce such as tomatoes, eggplants, artichokes and peppers; its high-quality olive oil; its abundance of seafood; and its traditional pasta dishes. All these ingredients combine to make Puglia one of the most beloved regions in Italy for food lovers all over the world.