Pugliese cuisine maintains much of its traditional, ancient flavor and cooking style.  Olives, citrus fruits, and wine are the key elements in Pugliese cooking. Locally produced cheeses from goats and wild cattle, and, of course, Pugliese bread produced in great rounds weighing from one to five kilograms, are also staple ingredients.  Seafood is prepared in a myriad of delicate, simple, but extremely flavorful ways and the variety of seafood is extraordinary. 

Olives, oranges, and wine are the primary agricultural products of the Gargano region.  Unlike anywhere else in the world, the cultivation of oranges lasts much, if not all, of the year because of the unique climate and geography of the Gargano Peninsula.  Varieties include the winter 'Durette' to the 'Blonds of Summer' which mature in the spring.  Lemons are also cultivated and along with the oranges are preserved in a variety of marmalades and candied fruits.  Lemons are used for the production of Limoncello, a sweet liqueur that varies from producer to producer.  Limoncello is often served as a complimentary conclusion to a meal at a local restaurant or offered as an act of hospitality when visiting someone's home.

Pizza Pugliese style...a thin, crispy crust dressed with the perfect amount of tomato, mozzarella, prosciutto, artichokes, and local olives.

Marinated olives and delicate, buttery oil produced and sold by a local 'nonna' in Peschici.

The olive groves and the production of olive oil is one of the most characteristic aspects of the region.  Acres and acres of olive trees cascade the hillsides.  Some consider the trees to be sacred and, indeed, their ancient twisted forms add a mysterious, sculptural quality to the landscape. There are still many 'trappeti' used in the past for milling olives.  The olives, depending on their maturation and quality, are processed in a variety of ways. Black olives are often left to marinate for weeks in salt and rosemary.  They are then washed with olive oil and preserved for use on pizzas or to dress pasta or fish.  Green olives are conserved in brine while reddish-green olives may be simply tossed in olive oil and vinegar.

The oils also vary but are characteristically smooth, buttery and lack acidity.  The flavors of the air and the landscape add a subtlety to the oil, infusing it with the scents of lemon and peppery wild rosemary.

Great rounds of Pugliese bread still made in the ancient tradition.

Probably the most famous type of bread from the region is called 'Pane di Monte St'Angelo'.  Characterized by its large size, it can be found hanging in most markets and in each town's bakery.  Its enormous size dates back to a not-so-distance past when bread had to last for weeks and formed the basis of many meals.

The production of Pugliese pasta also remains closely tied to the 'wise-hands' of those who, in many cases, still form it by hand.  The region's signature pasta is called 'orecchiette', and is shaped like little ears.  'Troccoli', the 'strascinate', 'cavatelli' and 'maccheroni', also find their way into Pugliese cuisine.

A simple bounty of 'Muscisca' salami, fresh produce, and locally produced cheeses.

A delight to the palette...pungent, rich gorgonzola cheese paired with the milder, sweet Caciocavallo Podolico produced from the milk of Vacco Podolico.

When we travel, we try to make sure to prepare our own meals much of the time.  This allows us to fully explore the bountiful produce of the Gargano region, to practice our Italian, and to experience the daily rituals of going to the market or to the local farms and vineyards.  Even the simplest meal of bread, cheese, and antipasti is an utter delight as the ingredients are so fresh and exquisitely flavored by the landscape.

The ancient art of sheep and goat farming still exists in the Gargano, and throughout the year it is possible to see herds of sheep and Garganico goats grazing in the surrounding pasture-lands. Typical dairy products include 'cacioricotta' cheese, a combination of goat and cow milks.  The cheese takes on the basket-like texture of the wooden crates it is stored in while again.  While it is fairly young, it can be eaten with bread or alone.  As it ages, it can be used much like pecorino or  parmigiano and grated over pasta or vegetables. Ricotta, vaccine and buffalo mozzarella are also produced in the Gargano. But it is the 'Caciocavallo Podolico' which is considered to be the most 'noble' of Gargano cheeses.  Produced from the milk of the sleek, steel gray cows that roam the Umbra Forest, 'Caciocavallo Podolico' is made in small amounts and eaten only at the table.  It can be aged up to six years and its fragrance is reminiscent of the pastures and regional spices.

In addition to bread and cheese, no summer meal would be complete without a few slices of the regional salami. Called 'Muscisca', an Arabic derivative, it is made of up of lean goat or sheep meat which is slated and seasoned with spicy chili pepper, wild fennel and garlic.  It is exposed to the sunlight and air for weeks until it is dry.  Traditional parma ham and prosciutto are also popular ingredients in Pugliese cooking.

A cappuccino masterfully crafted at a street-side cafe.

One of these delightful almond cakes, donut-like puff pastries, or marmalade filled brioche is a perfect compliment to a cappuccino in the morning.

Like many other regions in Italy, specialty sweets are associated with various ancient traditions and religious holidays like Christmas, Easter, and the Carnival.  Ingredients often include honey, almond paste, chocolate, and regional spices.  Particularly tasty treats popular in Puglia are called 'Dames Mouths', which are still made from a secret recipe.  The tiny sponge cakes are filled with cream and almond paste, baked, and glazed with honey. 

Of course, in Puglia, as in other regions of Italy, a sweet tooth can always be satisfied with a delicious gelato.

Specialty Foods of Puglia and the Gargano:

Agnello al cartoccio: lamb chops baked in paper or foil with lampasciuoli and olives.

Bocconotti: half-moon shaped pastry shells flavored with Marsala and filled with cream and jam and baked.

Carteddate: ribbons of pastry dough flavored with Marsala rolled and fried in olive oil and topped with honey and cinnamon; purciduzzi are similar.

Cavatieddi con la ruca: pasta shells with cooked rocket greens, tomato and pecorino.

Ciceri e tria: chick peas and noodle soup.

Cozze alla leccese: mussels baked with oil, lemon and parsley.

Gniumerieddi: skewers of lamb or kid innards with slices of salt pork, pecorino and bay leaves grilled over the coals of a wood fire.

Melanzane alla campagnola: eggplant sliced, grilled and served with olive oil, chopped garlic, basil and mint.

Melanzane ripiene: baked eggplant hollowed and stuffed with its chopped pulp, tomatoes, breadcrumbs, capers, olives, anchovies.

Incapriata: thick soup of fava beans mashed with bitter chicory.

Orata alla barese: gilt-head bream roasted with potatoes, garlic, grated pecorino.

Ostriche alla tarantina: Taranto oysters breaded and baked with olive oil and parsley.

Seppie ripiene: small cuttlefish baked with a stuffing of chopped mussels and squid, capers, breadcrumbs, grated pecorino.

Tiella di cozze: mussels baked with rice, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, grated pecorino.

Zuppa alla tarantina: peppery soup of shellfish with grouper, eel, prawns and cuttlefish simmered with tomatoes and served with toasted garlic bread.