Perhaps more than the people of any other region in Italy, the pugliese love food. In fact, lots of pugliese make a living from food – whether it’s cooking and running restaurants, baking, farming, producing olive oil, or making burrata, Puglia is a region for food obsessives.
When the pugliese aren’t sitting down for a meal, they’re usually snacking in between. The south of Italy is famous for the quality of its wheat – durum wheat here is ancient, protein-rich and extremely high quality – and as a result, much of the food in southern regions like Puglia, Campania, Molise and Basilicata revolves around pasta and bread. In Puglia, baking has a long and storied history, and many pugliese snacks revolve around different breads, often piled high or stuffed with herbs, tomatoes, aubergines, mushrooms and other southern vegetables.
Here are five favourites that you’ll see plenty of if you’re planning a trip to the south – make sure you save some room!