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One of THE biggest draws about traveling to Italy (in my opinion, at least) is the food. From the outside it might seem like Italian food is just one big monolith across the country, but you might be surprised in your travels across Italy to discover just how varied and unique each region’s cuisine can be!
Puglia, and especially the Salento region, has a very rustic and “down-home” feel to its dishes. The emphasis is often on simple, fresh ingredients and recipes. When you think of what to eat in Puglia there’s a chance orecchiette comes to mind, but Pugliese cuisine is so much more than just its most famous pasta shape!
Because I love eating while traveling so much, I wanted to make sure I created this easy guide to all the best food in Puglia—the essential foods you can’t miss in this region—so you know what to look out for and can make sure you don’t miss anything!
- What to Eat in Puglia
- 1. Orecchiette
- 2. Fave e cicoria
- 3. Octopus (and octopus sandwiches)
- 4. Puccia
- 5. Horse meat
- 6. Bombette
- 7. Raw Squid
- 8. Red or Violet Shrimp Crudo
- 9. “Home” restaurant
- 10. Pasticciotto
- 11. Panzerotti
- 12. Focaccia Barese
- 13. Spumone
- 14. Rosé
- 15. Caffè Leccese
- 16. Burrata
- 17. Altamura Semolina Bread
- 18. Taralli
- 19. Spaghetti all’assassina
Delve into Italy
Don’t forget to check out the rest of my Italy posts and guides if you’re still planning your perfect trip!
What to Eat in Puglia
1. Orecchiette
Orecchiette, a pasta shape that means “little ears”, is one of the things to eat in Puglia that this region is most well known for.
We took this pasta-making class in Lecce to learn to make and shape orecchiette, which I highly recommend! It’s remarkably easy once you get the hang of it, and I would probably give it a shot again at home.
The two most classic ways to enjoy this humble pasta shape are orecchiette con le cime di rape (orecchiette with turnip greens) and orecchiette with tomato and strong ricotta cheese.
The tomato sauce and ricotta is definitely my favorite orecchiette dish. It’s the one we made during our pasta-making class, and it really proved that in Puglia food can be both extremely simple and extremely delicious.
In a way, it doesn’t even matter how you try it, because it’s going to be amazing regardless! Just make sure you try it.
Something you cannot miss is heading to Bari Vecchia (the old town) and seeing the nonne making orecchiette on Arco Basso, better known as la via delle orecchiette.
Be sure to bring cash so you can buy some to take home too—we made the mistake of not having cash, and we were sorely disappointed!
🍝 Orecchiette Class with Livio in Lecce 🍝
The pasta-making class we took in Lecce was the perfect way to pass the pausa: that 3-4 hours every afternoon when not a soul stirs in Lecce’s streets (or anywhere in Puglia for that matter).
Livio and his niece, Giorgia, were so kind, funny, and knowledgeable. Not only we were so proud of the orecchiette we produced, but the meal and wine couldn’t have been better. The view from his rooftop was just a plus!
Check availability for Livio’s class here >>
2. Fave e cicoria
Fave e cicoria is a “cuisine of the poor” (la cucina povera) that has made its way into more popular and trendy restaurants recently. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this dish, considering how simple it is.
This dish consists of blended fava beans topped with chicory that’s cooked to be salty and garlicky. Chicory can be quite bitter so the fava beans help tone that down. Then, either mixed in or on top you’ll get fried pieces of bread.
I ended up ordering this most places I saw it on the menu because it never disappoints. That said, one of the coolest things about this quintessential Puglia food is getting to see how different chefs have interpreted and adapted it!
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3. Octopus (and octopus sandwiches)
Octopus is a very common, and very delicious seafood option that you’ll find all over the place in Puglia.
You may have tried octopus before, in which case you’ll know that it almost never dissapoints.
However, you probably haven’t tried one of the most common things to eat in Puglia for lunch: an octopus (or polpo) sandwich. We were lucky and stumbled upon a festival celebrating this exact dish in Mola di Bari, so we got to try some seriously authentic ones, but we saw this item all over different menus up and down the Salento peninsula!
I’d never seen this before coming to Puglia, but it’s as tasty as you could expect.
4. Puccia
Puccia (pooh-cha) is a particular type of round sandwich that originated in Salento.
The bread is a pizza dough bread, and you can find just about any type of filling you could imagine, so there’s something to suit everyone. You’ll see these all over Puglia, at lidos, bars, cafes, anywhere really!
They’re the perfect cheap lunch option if you’re in a pinch.
5. Horse meat
I’ve written a bit about horse meat in Italy before, so if you’re a frequent reader you might already know about this unique Italian custom.
Before coming to Puglia I had mainly seen horse meat in Sicily, which I think is where it’s probably the most well known.
While in Sicily horse seems to be most commonly eaten in thin strips, almost like steak meat you’d get in a sandwich, in Puglia I actually saw it way more often and with much more variety.
I saw horse sausage meat at the grocery store, ground horse patties, horse meat stew, and horse meatballs to name just a few dishes.
I only tried it once, in a stew, and I found it to taste similar to certain cuts of beef.
I would try it again! I think it’s a cool thing to try out when you’re in the region.
6. Bombette
Translating to “little bombs,” bombette are one of the most delicious and unique ways to enjoy Puglia’s excellent pork products. Essentially, they consist of pancetta, wrapped in cheese, wrapped in very thinly sliced pork, sometimes breaded and always secured with a toothpick.
Bombette are an excellent example of the way that Puglia food is excellent at turning just a few high quality ingredients into an extremely flavorful dish.
7. Raw Squid
In general Puglia is a bit of a haven for raw seafood. In this vein, one of the most interesting and adventurous things to eat in Puglia, in my opinion, is sampling the fresh raw squid at the port in Bari.
Fishermen will set up along the port, hit their recently caught squid on the cement to soften and tenderize it, and then cut it into strips (called tagliatelle—not to be confused with the pasta shape!). You can eat it totally fresh like this, or add a squeeze of lemon! Yes, that’s literally it!
If that sounds a bit too rustic for you, you’ll also probably see raw squid (crudo) listed on plenty of restaurant menus, so you can always try it there instead, but I think the first option is way more fun.
8. Red or Violet Shrimp Crudo
Gamberi Rossi and Gamberi Viola, or Red and Violet Shrimp respectively, are staples throughout Puglia, especially Salento. The most typical preparation you’ll see (just about everywhere!) is crudo—which is essentially similar to ceviche. Usually this will be chopped up if it’s part of a dish, but it can be served whole if you’re at a seafood restaurant or casual seafood stand and order it on its own.
Most often I encountered this Salentino delicacy as the topping to a creamy lemon pasta dish—this was my favorite way to eat it. However, I also saw gamberi rossi or gamberi viola as the filling of pucce, as a starter, etc.
The taste is kind of surprising… it’s almost sweet? I enjoyed trying this one, especially on pasta, but I didn’t fall in love with it. Daniel, on the other hand, was obsessed, and ordered it a ton.
9. “Home” restaurant
This is really more of a “where to eat” if we want to get technical, but I think it still deserves a spot on the list. I’m sure these exist outside of Puglia, but I certainly saw the biggest concentration that I’ve ever come across in Puglia.
The concept is pretty self explanatory: you go to someone’s home and they cook for you, much like a restaurant. These will typically have one set menu for everyone, with some available changes based on dietary restrictions or preferences communicated ahead of time (or not, depending on the operation).
We only got to visit one while in Puglia, but it was a fantastic way to sample some traditional and classic things to eat in Puglia.
10. Pasticciotto
A pasticciotto is a traditional pastry in Puglia, and you’ll see them at just about every cafe or bar you visit in the region. It looks like a mini loaf almost… but it’s more of a shortbread texture than loaf texture.
The outside will mostly always be this shortbread consistency and taste, while the inside will be a mix of options. Traditionally they’ll be filled with custard, but you’ll also find them filled with chocolate, jam, pistachio, etc. I even had a savory pasticciotto at dinner one evening.
In all honesty, I didn’t love this pastry. It’s just not for me. Daniel, on the other hand, loved it. I think you should give one a try despite my personal dislike of it, because it’s a traditional Puglia food, so it’s a good experience no matter what!
11. Panzerotti
One of my personal favorite things to eat in Puglia has got to be the panzerotto. I mean honestly what’s not to love about this.
It’s basically fried dough that’s filled with tomato and mozzarella as a given, but often you’ll find other filling additions too. I was partial to the one I tried with salami inside.
I recommend getting this snack while you’re up near Bari. I found it really difficult to find good panzerotti in Salento, where they’re more likely to do a potato dumpling sort of thing instead.
Insider Tip
In Lecce and the surrounding areas you’ll find something similar called a Rustico, which has the same fillings, but is made with a puff pastry outside instead.
Personally, I prefer panzerotti, but let’s be real, it’s all amazing.
12. Focaccia Barese
Focaccia Barese (or Pugliese, depending who you ask), is both a method of making the dough and also typically refers to the toppings.
In order to get the focaccia dough particularly soft and fluffy they add a bit of mashed potato! You actually can’t tell at all that there’s mashed potato in this bread, and I only found out it was there while I was looking it up after eating it so much!
As for toppings, they typically put tomato and olives on the top, as well as a sprinkling of oregano and olive oil. Some places will embellish a bit and add burrata or mortadella (or both) on the top when they serve it as well, which is particularly delicious.
13. Spumone
You might be familiar with spumone already, but I’d be willing to bet that, unless you’ve been to Puglia, you’re only familiar with the Neapolitan and/or American version of this dessert (traditionally cherry, pistachio and vanilla ice cream, with dried fruits and nuts inside).
In Puglia, and especially Salento, the basic premise of spumone is the same in that it’s 2-3 flavors of gelato that are layered together and molded into a shape to create one form of several flavors. They’re also usually on top of a thin layer of cake, and may also have some other add-ins or toppings.
The most common flavor combinations in Salento are hazelnut and chocolate, or fig and almond, which are obviously quite different from the traditional Neapolitan version! Spumoni salentini will also typically come in a little round rather than a cake slice shape. When it comes to what to eat in Puglia for dessert, this is always one of our go-tos!
14. Rosé
On our very first day in Puglia, our tour guide, who is pretty enmeshed in the local food and wine scene, told us that Puglia is sort of known for its rosé. I, for one, latched onto this information and took it as a wonderful reason to basically only drink rosé for the rest of the trip.
Normally rosé is just like any other wine to me, not particularly special, but I have to say, the rosé I had in Puglia was consistently fantastic. The most common grapes you’ll come across are Negramaro and Primitivo; we slightly preferred Negramaro.
I really recommend trying some local rosé (and some local reds and whites, to be fair!) while you’re in Puglia.
15. Caffè Leccese
You may see this listed some places under a different place name than Lecce, but if you order a “caffè Leccese”, pretty much any business in Puglia will know what you want. It may not be a “food” exactly, but this is one of the things to eat in Puglia.
The caffè Leccese is deceptively simple—just ice, espresso, and almond syrup—but the effect is anything but. Something about the almond syrup and the espresso coming together makes each ingredient feel somehow more complex than it would be on its own. It’s sweet but not cloyingly so, and there’s a bit of a deeper flavor that makes you wonder if there’s secretly some other ingredient hidden in the cup.
Another great benefit of this coffee drink is that it’s a no-fail method to get an iced coffee, which, if you’ve traveled in Europe in the summer before, you might know is not always easy.
16. Burrata
You have probably had burrata before, and if you’ve had it you probably already love it. What you might not know is that burrata is actually a Pugliese specialty!
Burrata is a type of cheese that’s made by encasing creamy stracciatella inside of more solid mozzarella. It’s salty and creamy and a bit of a mess, but that’s just all part of the experience.
You won’t have to try hard to get your hands on burrata, as it’s on most menus in Puglia. The only real question is what will become your favorite method of eating it?
17. Altamura Semolina Bread
Altamura Bread is a particular type of semolina bread that’s been made traditionally for hundreds of years. Made using a hundred-year-old sourdough starter and baked in huge brick ovens, it’s also the first baked good to ever be given the DOP (domestic origin product) distinction, so it’s a pretty big deal in Puglia.
I’ll be honest: at first I was not overly pressed about trying the bread, because I mean… it’s just bread, right? Wrong. This bread is fantastic. It well and truly rivaled San Francisco sourdough bread—and I say that as a native San Franciscan.
You can find this bread all over the region, both in grocery stores and sometimes at restaurants, but my preferred way was definitely getting to see it made and eating it fresh in Altamura.
🧀 Sample Puglia’s Best Cheese & Bread in Altamura 🧀
If there’s one experience I recommend going out of your way to do (and budget for) in Puglia, it’s The Cheese Experience hosted by the lovely people at Caseificio Dicecca.
If you’re familiar with Stanley Tucci’s show Searching for Italy, you may have already seen Caseificio Dicecca there. This family-owned cheese shop is famous not just for its amazing traditional mozzarella and burrata, but also for its very own blue cheese—which isn’t super common in this part of Italy.
Vito Dicecca will take you around his favorite spots in Altamura, letting you sample and hear from the experts as you go. We had an amazing day with him and I cannot recommend his tour enough!!
18. Taralli
Taralli is kind of ubiquitous in Southern Italy. You’ll have it served to you at every aperitivo, see insane amounts of it packaged at the grocery store, have people in every old town trying to sell it to you—you get the idea.
And honesty, thank god it’s everywhere, because I love the stuff. It’s really quite simple, so I have no idea why I’m so obsessed with these little crackers, but I really am.
My favorites are the ones with fennel seeds (finocchio) baked into them, which is lucky for me because these are easily one of the most common flavors you’ll find. A close second would be the ones with pieces of olives baked in, which are a bit rarer to find, but really delicious.
19. Spaghetti all’assassina
This unique pasta dish is one that you’ll pretty much exclusively find in Bari, where it’s famous. Instead of boiling the pasta and adding the sauce afterwards, as pasta is commonly made, spaghetti all’assassina is made by putting the pasta directly into the hot cast iron pan while tomato sauce is slowly added, a bit like you’d make a risotto.
The result is a slightly crispy/burnt (but more so caramelized) pasta dish that’s rich and spicy. I wish I could recommend the place we tried it, but unfortunately we really didn’t like the restaurant (hence the weird stock photo). However, check out my other Puglia guides to see what else we had on the shortlist.
Insider Tip
Try to order spaghetti all’assassina with burrata or stracciatella on top to add another note (and in my opinion crucial) to the flavor profile. You may not see this listed on the menu, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an option. Just ask!!
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Are you ready to eat your way through Puglia?
I hope you’re not too hungry after reading about the best food in Puglia! Now that you’re prepared for all the things to eat in Puglia, be sure to check out all my other Puglia guides to continue planning the trip of a lifetime.
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