PUGLIA

It's trendy to be simple.

On our drive to Puglia we listened to a podcast about the region. One quote stuck out to me, “It’s trendy to be simple”. The interviewee was specifically referencing the food in Puglia, which stands apart quite starkly from the other regions in Italy— but after my visit, I found myself referencing this quote in my head often for more than just the cuisine.

At first glance, Puglia is knobby, thick trunks of olive trees, bent over like an old man’s back from years of physical labor, reaching to the ends of the horizon in every direction. It’s expansive fields of red soil, and weathered-brick, conically-shaped trulli. And although the landscape of olive trees as far as the eye can see, and the haze of azure waters melting into the horizon lines in the distance is quite simple (and certainly gorgeous in that simplicity), the real beauty I found of Puglia was in its culture, craft and people.

There is a deep pride for the region and its lands, and even more for each town within the region. Pasticciotto is from Puglia, but its actually from Lecce. When we were at our olive grove dinner in Brindisi (story coming soon!), one of the diners who was born and raised in Lecce exclaimed that we haven’t tried a good pasticciotto if we hadn’t had it from Lecce. Try anything that is offered to you, and I assure you it will be delicious. I have a feeling that if we stayed here just a few weeks more we’d settle into the true lifestyle of Puglia—the olive oil makers would introduce us to the apricot farmer who would lead us to some of the best wine we’ve ever had made with local grapes from the region. We’d end up at a masseria having a gorgeous meal that stretches into the time of night when the skies band in soft blue to purple and dots with stars. The Pugliese culture is one of authenticity, and when you visit, you become a part of it too—if you are willing to dive just a little beneath the surface.

Look under the folds. Ask a few more questions. Linger awhile and be open to where it leads you. And when you follow these nods, this is where the real Puglia lies.

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