In the old days, people in Apulia tried to survive on products from their own land and not too expensive ingredients; people were rather poor so food was cheap but still with the use of good fresh ingredients it was delicious. Old stale bread for instance was not trashed, but used to bind the soup and add extra calories. You will find vegetables on the menu like eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and fennel. Beans are popular. As there is a large sea border, one eats fish and clams. Lamb is also part of the menu.
A famous product from this region is Caciovallo, a cheese with an age of 3 months to two years, produced in Apulia, but also in Molise. It looks like provolone and comes from the milk of a specific semi-wild cow, the Podolica. With regard to wines, a lot of use is made of the Aglianico grape, that grows in South-Italy. Salento is the southern peninsula of Apulia, with the cities Lecce and Brindisi; black truffles from this region are famous.
The people from Apulia, just like the other Italians, like their Easter traditions: on Silent Friday, calzone di cipolla alla Barese is served. Saint Nicolas is the patron saint of Bari, the capital of Apulia. In 1078, his ashes were brought to this city by sailors from Myra. His holiday is celebrated on 6, 7 and 8 May. Click on culinary calendar for more links between cooking and celebration.