A Treasure in Puglia: Letters from Italy

There was no room on the table for any more antipasto, but the waitress at Terrazze Sotto Il Castello kept it coming. I was in Puglia after all, where a typical meal begins with a variety of small plates of local specialties. Tonight’s treats were focaccia, tiny meatballs, fresh mozzarella, stuffed zucchini, hot chunks of mortadella, raw thinly-sliced swordfish, proscuitto, a bowl of fragrant black and green olives, and a basket of taralli. As we poured ourselves glasses of Primitivo wine, I felt grateful for the delicious abundance this region of Italy in the heel of the boot has to offer.

With eighty miles of coastline providing a bounty of seafood along with fertile land where olive, almond, and fruit trees, vineyards, and vegetable fields flourish in sunshine, Puglia does not lack in its choices of fresh ingredients to bring to its tables. The region’s dishes are more complex than in other parts of southern Italy, as the influences of centuries of invaders (including Arabs, Greeks, Normans, and Spanish) pervade their recipes. Here eggplant and zucchini are seasoned with fresh mint leaves and beef is marinated in cognac.

Conversano, a medieval walled village (population 24,000) situated twenty minutes southeast of Bari, Puglia’s capital, was a perfect place to indulge in culinary treasures. I settled in for a few days at the Corte Altavilla, a beautifully refurbished former castle, located in the historic center of town. My suite featured a comfortable king-size bed and a sitting room with a desk offering internet access along with a dreamy view of the town’s 16th-century cathedral. The charming staff and delicious breakfast buffet added to the experience of making this a sublime home base.

Wandering the curved whitewashed alleys of Conversano, I discovered the daily lively market with stalls overflowing with baskets of chicory and sweet peas, countless varieties of olives glistening in basins, and canvas sacks bursting with dried beans and almonds.

Outside caffes, men in caps and dark suits sat playing cards; on tiny baroque balconies, women hung laundry. The smell of a wood-burning oven drew me into the oldest bakery in town, Panificio Aurora. It was stocked with all kinds of taralli, focaccia, pastries stuffed with grape marmalade, and almond cookies. At a masseria a short drive away, I sampled fresh ricotta and caciocavallo, which along with buratta are among the most prized cheeses of the region.