What to taste
In Salento typical gastronomic specialities are made with poor but rather tasty ingredients, the mirror of so many populations who have lived in this territory leaving their mark. These simple ingredients are typical of the Mediterranean diet: vegetables, light spices, fish and wheat products. Some dish are higly energizing, such as dried figs, the “pucce” and the “uliate” (a kind of bread with olives, onions, tomato and hot pepper).
Among the first courses the tastiest ones are made with pasta served with tomato sauce or meat sauce. The best known of this kind are “orecchiette”, containing durum wheat flour. They are generally served with “minchiareddhi”, that are little maccheroni. You can taste them with tomato sauce and “cacioricotta” sprinkled on it. In winter you can eat “orecchiette” with local broccoli or turnips tops, a nice mix of pasta and vegetables. Another kind of home made pasta are “sagne ‘ncannulate”, which are twisted lasagne cut into stripes. You should better eat them with tomato sauce or meat sauce.
Among the second courses there are specialities made with meat or fish. We recommed Pezzetti di cavallo (horse meat pieces): this is the most popular in Salento, a bit more elaborate than roasted meat and very tasty. Little pieces of horse meat are cooked in a terracotta pot with tomato sauce and spices. A long cooking is necessary and in the end meatbecomes tender and savoury. And then Turcinieddhri: they are little rolls made up with lamb entrails savoured with herbs. They must be grilled or cooked in a wood oven. Anyway you must be careful not to cook them long so not to get burnt.
Wines in Salento Salento's traditional wines were the powerful, inky reds from Primitivo, Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera. But increasing attention is being given to fresher reds and rosés, as well as to some unexpectedly bright and fruity white wines. Primitvo di Manduria, the early ripening variety of Salento is related to California's Zinfandel. Though it once served primarily as a blending wine, Primitivo from a new wave of producers has shown undeniable class in a style that stands comparison with its American counterparts.
Among the many DOCs of Salento, Salice Salentino stands out for its robust red and refined rosé, though wines from such appellations as Squinzano, Brindisi, Alezio and Copertino can show unexpected class. The Salento IGT applies to red wines that often carry individual names. White wines also show promise, Chardonnay in particular, though Salento is also renowned for flowery rosés that rank with Italy's finest.
The best olive oil The charming southern italian area of Salento is home to some of the finest olive oils in the world. Thanks to an ideal climate and a strong tradition of olive cultivation, the olive groves that stretch endlessly along the coast are responsible for the majority of Italy’s olive oil production.
Ever since antiquity, when the olive tree was planted throughout the Mediterranean basin, Salentinians have carefully cultivated the plant and extracted its juice. Salentinian olive oils range from mild, light, and sweet to fruity-spicy, aggressive, and rustic, depending mostly on the cultivars used. The best way to savor Salentinian olive oils and find your favorite is to dip a piece of the area’s dense, delicious bread in a little olive oil, as the Ancient Romans used to do.
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