800 kilometers of coastline in Puglia yields seafood, fresh as it can be, cooked cautiously (so as to not lose its actuality) and not at all at times. Meat solicitors would do well with the lamb meat that is prevalent here, which is slow-cooked and well. Sheep naturally drive the dairy. Cheese is abundant and usually finds its place in the antipasti (starters). ‘Burrata’ is the most served of all; it has a sack-like look, which when knifed oozes fresh mozzarella. 

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Pasta is to Italians what food is to humans. Puglia has its very own called ‘Orecchiette’ (literally ‘little ears’, given its shape), which is handmade. I had a go at it and believe me it isn’t easy to shape these right but the ladies of the house in Bari come out of their houses and make these in the evening (most of which is bought by the several ristorante and trattoria around). Especially indulgent, also for the locals, is ‘Focaccia’, yeasted baked bread smeared with roasted sun-dried tomatoes, studded with olives and glistened with olive oil.

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Until better sense prevailed, Puglians were selling their grapes to the rest of Europe and even California. Wiser now, they produce some good quality wine, indigenously. In pursuit, they have mastered wines that are pressed from Negroamaro (meaning black-bitter) and Primitivo (not to confuse with ‘primitive’, it actually means ‘early ripening’). Negroamaro is a dry red with flavours of plum, baked raspberries and on the spice side of aniseed and cinnamon and on the other hand Primitivo is a more fuller-bodied red with tastes of fresh figs and baked berries … a distinct dried fruit-leather character, if you fancy. Neither much acidic so they go down well with the grub.

There are many reasons to visit Puglia, but food & wine would perhaps compete with the most compelling of reasons!

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