A food guide of Salento, Puglia-Italy
The Mediterranean Diet
Apulian cuisine is based on a simple yet powerful philosophy: the use of fresh, local and seasonal ingredients, which tell the story and culture of this fertile land. The connection with the sea and the land is strong, with recipes passed down from generation to generation, which keep the regional culinary heritage alive. UNESCO considers the Mediterranean Diet an intangible cultural heritage, given the responsible interactions between agricultural and dietary practices and the environment. The Mediterranean diet has its roots in the poorest society where farmers worked the land and lived from the cultivation of cereals, legumes, vegetables but also wild vegetables, aromatic herbs with beneficial properties and intense aroma. Olive oil had and still has a key role in Apulian cuisine thanks to the enormous quantity of olive trees that decorate the landscape.
Mediterranean herbs
Mediterranean cuisine has as a basis for every dish, in addition to olive oil, also Mediterranean aromatic herbs that have an intense aroma and an unmistakable flavor.
Basil
