Salento’s best food and drink: A Delicious Guide

So, you’re off to Salento, that heel of Italy’s boot, huh? That’s fantastic, really! Think whitewashed towns baking in the sun, olive groves stretching as far as you could see, and that Ionian Sea sparkling invitingly. Very much worth a visit. But there’s more, really. Salento is a treat for the taste buds. A very real, very good treat. We’re not just talking pizza and pasta; oh no. We’re talking food and drinks deeply rooted in tradition, prepared with love, that capture the soul of Puglia. I mean, if you are heading there, you really have to try these five things. They really capture Salento. They’re truly a bit of magic.

Rustico Leccese: Flaky, Golden Perfection

OK, so, first thing’s first: you really have to get your hands on a Rustico Leccese. This treat, like your favorite, trustworthy sweater, has it all. A golden puff pastry hug with a very warm, cheesy, tomatoey heart. Doesn’t that sound tasty? We can easily label this a pastry hug if we think about it. Seriously, it might be the ultimate street food. It’s typically enjoyed still very warm from the oven, which is why, at every turn in Lecce, you find places ready to sell you these golden discs. Usually as soon as they get out of the oven. It’s very much the kind of thing that just stops you in your tracks. I’ve literally tripped over myself to get to one before. And let me tell you, very rarely does it disappoint. That, is because, at first bite, the flaky crust cracks lightly, giving way to a soft, cheesy center that might be heaven’s very own gift to people like us.

Usually, the filling is that very lovely combo of mozzarella, tomato, and béchamel sauce. Yet some places very much put their own little twist on things. You might find ones with spinach, artichokes, or even a touch of spicy salami. We think it really embodies the soul of Salento, if that’s a thing. Simple, like it just uses the land’s gifts. This Rustico has very easily become a symbol of Lecce itself. It very much captures a spirit that everyone likes.

If you would like to attempt making your own, you will that it takes puff pastry, really good mozzarella, tomato sauce, béchamel (if you would like to make things complicated), salt, and pepper. Yet, a few extra hints might be that you very much blind bake your puff pastry before filling to ensure it is flaky; also, chilling the filling a bit helps stop the pastry from getting soggy; finally, brush with an egg wash for extra gloss. Then it will be a bit like those in the shops.

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Orecchiette with Cime di Rapa: A Pasta Hug From Nonna

We have another one for you now! Let’s have a word about Orecchiette with Cime di Rapa! Like that warm embrace from your Italian nonna (grandmother), this dish is that Salento staple that has so much heart and soul that really anyone should be trying it. ‘Orecchiette’ translates to ‘little ears.’ Shaped like, well, tiny ears, this pasta is the perfect vessel for soaking up that rich, ever so slightly bitter sauce made from ‘cime di rapa,’ or turnip tops, so that it all merges perfectly.

That’s how it is that this meal just sings when you see the garlic, the olive oil, and that occasional burst of peperoncino. Most cooks just saute the turnip tops with garlic and olive oil until those greens wilt into silky perfection. It’s sometimes very much the simplicity that allows ingredients to really shine. You may also discover a few chefs toss in anchovies for that extra layer of savory richness. Every home might cook this dish slightly differently, usually just like every Italian family. Yet, it is very much this base set of ingredients that sets this dish apart. You should seek it out!

For a good serving that will remind you of that Italian vacation you will that you need orecchiette pasta (dried is good enough), cime di rapa (turnip tops), garlic, olive oil, peperoncino (red pepper flakes) for a bit of a kick, salt and pepper, and optional anchovies if that takes your fancy. To hint at good tips, it has been suggested to blanch your cime di rapa briefly beforehand. Usually cooking the orecchiette with cime di rapa in the same pot brings it all together; finally, a generous drizzle of olive oil really seals the deal. We think you should definitely give it a try. Or go to Puglia to make a great cook cook it for you.

Read our full review: Orecchiette Recipe Full Review and Details

Frisella: The Peasant Food Turned Gourmet Treat

Moving right along, let’s explore the world of frisella, now! This, if you are unaware, is basically a twice-baked bread. Really a simple, rustic staple that was a food that poorer people survived off a while ago, now is like a blank canvas of tastes for the land’s finest offerings. Its round, ring-like shape will feel extremely charming, a charm matched only by its great history.

First of all, that frisella must be moistened. You basically run it quickly under cool water, or quickly dunk it if that’s your kind of style, just so that it is pliable, so you can bite it easily enough without feeling as though you will damage your teeth. Usually, once that’s done, that canvas has to have ingredients thrown on it, like the land’s brightest tastes: juicy tomatoes, aromatic basil, rich olive oil, a pinch of salt, maybe oregano, really like you’re creating art with ingredients. Frisella is also often scrubbed with garlic after wetting before toppings, so the garlic aroma explodes a bit as you bite. Yet some of us have discovered how wonderful a salty serving of anchovies and that slightly pungent red onion of Tropea, sliced finely and sprinkled generously over the frisella. The textures! The explosion of tastes! Honestly, you are going to be on holiday! Spoil yourself.

Anyway, for an attempt to recreate your adventure, grab yourself a frisella, tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil (extra virgin, obviously!), salt, pepper, oregano, red onion, and some anchovies if you wish. You will find you have created something so close to what is very possible that you were eating whilst sunning yourself by the shores of Italy, it will feel like that warm embrace all over again!

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Negroamaro: Salento’s Dark and Mysterious Wine

After some very lovely eats, that need for a beverage rises high. You very much need something to wash all of that tasty magic down. Is that so wrong? I suggest, then, to just let’s raise a glass of Negroamaro. The one that might very much be the king of Salento wines! Its name, believe it or not, translates to “black bitter,” very much hinting at that wine’s intense color and that subtly bitter taste, which are two points of attraction for drinkers.

Basically, the character of the taste explodes with those notes of dark fruit. It gives such an earthy aroma, along with hints of spice and that lovely, just so slight, bitterness. Each of these will leave you craving another sip. The magic about that is how that Negroamaro just knows how to dance in tandem with those hearty Salento dishes. As the meal’s flavors mingle with the sip, so that combination intensifies a bond you can’t easily tear apart.

A few tips to explore Negroamaro include understanding how that variety shines at its peak, with each exhibiting varying profiles influenced by the terroir; look out for its dark, inky colour in that glass; be guided by your palate with the tastes that range through blackberry, plum, tobacco, and leather tones. Do all of that, and you really could fool anyone into thinking you are a Sommelier!

Read our full review: Negroamaro Wine Review Full Review and Details

Caffè in Ghiaccio: The Coolest Coffee You’ll Ever Drink

I believe it is only right, to make it complete, that this final thing that needs experiencing might just be that pick-me-up that only the Italy’s sun might make you want! This will then allow us to talk about Caffè in Ghiaccio! So simple! So effective! On that warm Salento day, really the only thing you need might just be a sip of ice-cold coffee. What’s not to like? We are looking at more than your regular iced coffee. It is, as it suggests in the title, coffee served ‘in ice.’ I believe they often do a sugar syrup too!

When you very much go to enjoy it in Salento, that little ritual of ordering and waiting and watching how that barista prepares your Caffè in Ghiaccio forms part of its charm. The process usually involves they will prepare a shot of espresso and sweeten it. The shot is poured over a handful of ice cubes and is often finished with a splash of almond syrup, thus elevating it, making that coffee intensely refreshing, and making those nutty notes just so slightly aromatic. That should very much transport you.

You too could be transported should you use that double espresso shot, add some sugar (to taste), four or five ice cubes, and that splash of almond syrup! Should it all come together well enough, just maybe you will remember Salento!

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