The Apulian Specialties you can’t miss out on- Street Food

Once the destination of the journey is decided it’s of vital importance to understand what are the traditional dishes of that place. Apulia truly offers so much for foodies!

In this article you’ll find a short list of Street Food, that you can easily find in bars on the street while walking through the inner paths of the beautiful historic centres of Salento, or on the beach lying comfortably on a bed, cuddled from the brisk air of the wind.

1. ICED COFFEE WITH ALMOND MILK

Cool and refreshing, a timeless classic for Salento’ people! It contains three ingredients: Espresso, almond milk, and ice cubes.

The two reference coffee brands are Valentino and Quarta. If you’re walking through the typical narrow streets of small villages, you’ll find a bar with a logo containing one of these two names, I recommend that you stop here to try this delicacy. As for almond milk, it’s necessary to specify that you use the almond milk syrup. A very good brand that can also be found in supermarkets is Fabbri. The 500ml bottle costs around €16,00,

The average cost of an iced coffee with almond milk ranges from €1.50 to €3.50. A little tip on where you can drink the best Leccese coffee? The ancient and historical Avio bar in Lecce, in the centre, right on the famous route of Via Trinchese.

2. Pasticciotto: I love you!

I know, it needs no introduction :The Pasticciotto! Having breakfast with a pasticciotto really deserves to be mentioned as an experience to do at least once in your life! This sweet is made mainly from two ingredients: Shortcrust pastry and custard.

An advice is to eat it still warm because both the consistency and intensity of the flavours change.

There are some variations both in regard to the Shortcrust Pastry (with cocoa for example) and the internal cream (nutella, mixed pastry and cocoa, pistachio, with tart cherry cream) but the best, in my opinion, remains the classic pasticciotto. The average price of a Pasticciotto varies from €1.50 to € 3.00.

According to legend,Pasticcheria Ascalone, on Via Vittorio Emanuele 17 in Galatina is the place where the pasticciotto was born, therefore it’s an absolute must see!

3. Rustico Leccese

It’s a baked product consisting of two disks of puff pastry with béchamel sauce, mozzarella, and tomato sauce inside. Some prefer the version with tomatoes, with béchamel sauce, and nutmeg.The trick to recognizing a good authentic Salentino product from a frozen one is in the golden browning of the pastry (at the limit of burning) and in the classic bulging edges. There’s a historic bar in Maglie to enjoy a rustic Salento “dop”: The 2001 bar, on Via Trento e Trieste 60. To tell the truth in this bar they also make a pasticciotto “Fore de capu” which means “Out of your mind” in Salentino, and a heavenly cream croissant which is special in comparison to others as it uses a special puff pastry made exclusively in their old bakery. The average cost of a Rustico is around €3,00.

4. Scapece Gallipolina

It’s a gourmet specialty symbol of Gallipoli. It’s a blue fish fried and then marinated with breadcrumbs soaked in vinegar and saffron inside a tub of chestnut wood. It’s a unique dish with a very strong flavour. Where can you taste it? Well obviously in the traditional festivals (the most beautiful one is in Gallipoli, from July 23^rd to 25^th every year it’s the festival of Saint Cristine). You can also get it in the store of the most historic company producing Scapece “The Scapece Manno” which is located in Sannicola on Via delle Tessitrici.