The Apuglian cuisine is characterised by the emphasis given to the raw ingredients, both from land and sea.
All the ingredients aim at enhancing and not altering the basic flavours of the produce.
In our area you will find seasonable vegetables from turnip greens to green cabbage, thistle, peppers, aubergines, artichokes, all legumes, from beans to lentils and broad beans, and all sea products.
Even though there are some common dishes, the recipes vary from province to province. The typical recipes of the provinces of Bari, Brindisi and Taranto, which lie on the sea, are not the same as those practised in the province of Foggia, which is more hilly, or of Lecce, more earthy.
Martina Franca in particular is located between Taranto and the sea of Brindisi.
There are many recipes represented in this cuisine, different dishes relating
to the different seasons: in spring and summer, preference is given to vegetables and fish, while in others legumes predominate, home-made pasta seasoned with various sauces, along with vegetables or fish.
Some of the most typical dishes are Orecchiette con le cime di rapa (orecchiette with turnip tops), Purea di fave con cicorie (mashed broad beans with chicory), and those that link the area to the Mediterranean, such as Cavatelli con le cozze (cavatelli with mussels), or the Bari-style baked rice called Riso, patate e cozze (rice, potatoes and mussels).
