Text by Felicetta Pavone 
Puglia, land of sun and sea, land distinguished
by the immense cultivated area of the Tavoliere. Land of simple, uncultured people,
lovers of a cuisine of the poor that has taken on the colours, flavours and tastes
of Greece. This region of southern Italy is the ancient kingdom of grain, and
grain is at the base of all its foods.
The ingredients which are habitually
used are oil from the fat olives of Bitonto, the cheeses of Andria and of Gioia
del Colle, the full-bodied greens of the Salento, the mussels of Taranto and the
not to be forgotten "lampasciuoli" or "lampascioni," a type of wild, bitter onion,
excellent in either a salad or in sweet and sour sauce. The people of the Puglia
are also great consumers of bread and focaccia: here the women still prepare "strascenate"
at home, which are pastry circles with one side smooth and the other rough, which
can be enjoyed in so many different ways: with "braciolette (meat rolls)," with
tomato and hard ricotta and even with turnip tips. And then there are "troccoli,
characteristic
squared spaghetti from Foggia, that take their name from the special tool that
is used to cut them, "pestazzule", that is "orecchiette" that are a little bigger.
All it takes is a little imagination to season the whole thing with not very elaborate
sauces. Also delicious is baked pasta with penne or ziti, stuffed with meatballs,
mozzarella and meat sauce with small tomatoes and pecorino. Considering the different
types of focaccia, there's one for every taste: stuffed calzone or "puddica,"
potato focaccia and the exquisite "calzuncieddi" served hot. Typical is "frisedda,"
otherwise called "ciambella con buco stretto" (ring with a narrow hole), made
of whole-wheat or white flour which is baked in the oven, then cut horizontally
in two and put back in the oven to become biscuits, then soaked in cold water
and, when once again tender, seasoned with olive oil, red chili peppers and salt.
With the same ingredients, but with boiling water, one makes "cialledda." There
are scores of greens: large chicory boiled and sprinkled with oil and lemon, artichokes,
either fried or stuffed with egg, cheese with the soft part of bread, 
zucchini,
excellent to eat when fried (the so-called "cucuzze alla puviredda"), eggplants,
peppers and so many other varieties. In this region that faces the sea, fish can
certainly not be lacking, a true delight: mullets and cuttlefish from Manfredonia,
anchovies in a cake pan, octopus, baked scampi and fried shrimp. Being a people
particularly dedicated to fishing, they don't like a lot of meat and, in any case,
prefer lamb. Besides fish and meat, there is also a vast assortment of cheeses:
from the smoked "fagottini" of Foggia with thin dark crust, to the soft and creamy
"burrata" of Andria in whose heart are enclosed eggs of mozzarella and cream,
and also the "manteca" and pecorino cheese, the most famous being from the Murge.
In the Puglia, sweets boast of a great tradition: "carteddate" and "purcidduzzi,"
both with honey, "mustazueli" and "cupete," a crunchy candy made with only brown
sugar and almonds, typical of Christmas, and sweets with ricotta 
such
as the famous ricotta pie and quince jelly of Lecce. In addition, we mention "zeppole,"
fried or baked cakes, and Easter "scarcedda," served with almond milk, a typical
southern beverage, which is very thirst quenching, and which is obtained from
ground almonds made into an infusion. We should also add dried fruit, stuffed
figs and the large hazelnuts that on feast days are never missing from the table
of a good Pugliese. To better appreciate the Pugliese specialties one must accompany
them with a good wine : white or red Muscat, the DOC of Corato, the Locorotondo,
the Castel del Monte and the wine of San Severo, Cerignola and Gioia del Colle.