The “Pajare” in Salento

The Pajare also called “caseddhi“, but also “pagghiari” or “furni” are particular typical buildings present in Salento and are considered typically rural homes and built with the dry wall technique. Furthermore, they respect the standards of green building because the use of natural materials such as stone does not affect the environment, becoming a true engineering marvel.

Origins

With a rather uncertain and controversial history, the Salento pajare have a decidedly ancient origin, presumably dating back to around the year 1000 AD, although some historians date them between 2000 BC. and the end of the Bronze Age. Whatever their origin, however, the Salento pajare fully identify with the surrounding landscape, adding a pinch of folklore to an area that is already fascinating and evocative in itself.

Used by Salento farmers as a place to rest after an intense day of work or to escape a sudden storm, the pajare often served as real summer homes, ideal for closely monitoring both the livestock and the more delicate crops . In appearance, very similar to trulli, equipped with windows and can also be quite luxurious and large, the pajare are characterized by a small and spartan environment, without windows and without too many frills and frills.

Creation of the Pajare in Salento

These typical truncated cone-shaped buildings are a true architectural jewel, created by interlocking stones of different sizes, found locally and placed together with meticulous compositional work, without the use of cement.

In fact, the architectural technique by which the Salento trulli are built is the derivation of the relief triangle system, just as the dome and the barrel vaults are derived from the round arch.

Only a hammer of a particular shape was used as a tool, having a dual function: on the one hand it was used to settle the stones and on the other to slightly smooth them.

Once the site had been chosen, the farmer or expert builder drew the plan of the shelter directly on the ground.

A gap (“muraja“) was left between the internal and external walls, the width of which varied depending on the size of the shelter (generally a couple of metres); this is filled with smaller stones mixed with the ground. The stones of the same layer, which contrast laterally constituting an almost rigid annular system, even without armor or mortar, supported each other exclusively through contrasts and the force of gravity. The subsequent and overlying rings project slightly inwards thanks to the use of longer stones. At the end, a large slab (“chiànca“) was placed, acting as the key to the entire structure and covering the opening.

Outside they have a staircase, also erected with the dry construction technique, which connected the door with the fragile roof. The latter, called a false dome, reveals the extraordinary skill of the ancient builders: the stones that make up the roof, in fact, are held together by the lateral contrast between them and by the force of gravity.

Modern use of Pajare in Salento

Furthermore, pajare have the ability to keep the environment cool and dry, even during the hottest hours and in the presence of scorching and intense temperatures. Unique in its kind is lu pagghiarune, located in Tuglie, with a truncated cone shape, made up of three steps and has a dovecote on the upper part.

It is very popular in Salento to convert these rural buildings into structures for overnight stays or refreshments, giving tourists the experience of being able to spend moments of relaxation, immersed in greenery and tradition.

Silent witnesses of the first expressions of human feeling, of a past that did not yet know the Messapic civilization, are the Menhirs scattered throughout Salento, whose origin and function remain shrouded in an aura of mystery.

Erected starting from the Neolithic, the Menhir is a type of megalithic monument consisting of a monolithic column, of an almost geometric or irregular shape, mostly left rough, fixed vertically in the ground, also called Pietrafitta, no more than 5 meters high.

The function of the Menhirs in Salento

• This megalithic path is illuminated by legends, as there is still no certain and entirely plausible explanation for their function. It is thought they served as “signposts” of tombs of extraordinary importance.

• Many do not exclude the significance of real monuments dedicated to the dead or to divinities, especially since many still show traces of anthropomorphic sculptures, the so-called “alignments” which could be gathering places or sacred streets.

• Other currents would like the broad faces of the stone, oriented from east to west, illuminated by the sun to be used to mark time and mark the solstices and equinoxes, or identify them as simulacra of the fertility cult of the mother goddess earth.

• What is certain is that in the Middle Ages they were aimed at the “Christianization” of the menhirs, through the affixing of the cross on the facades of the structure. From here they became the shared heritage of Christianity and even today in some villages of Salento, they are chosen as the destination of the Palm Sunday procession to stop and bless the olive twigs.

• Mystery and doubts have always invaded the world of Menhirs in Salento: if it is not clear which people had erected them and for what purposes. It is possible that the places where the Menhirs were built were considered suitable for establishing contact with the otherworldly world and the Gods.

A link between past and present that is preserved by a multifaceted land that brings together culture, nature, folklore and history disseminated by testimonies of different and ancient peoples; an original, inexplicable sacredness that we live with every day.

Where are the Mehnir found in Salento?

Traces of these “elderly” stones in many countries of the world: France, British Isles, North Africa, Germany.

Among the Italian regions, Puglia is certainly the richest in such megaliths. In fact, there are approximately 120 located in the coastal area of Bari, an area north of Taranto and in Salento.

These “sacred stones” are concentrated in the area between Minervino, Giurdignano, Giuggianello, Martano and Otranto.

• In Giurdignano, defined as the “megalithic garden of Italy”, there are more than 15 examples, we highlight: the “Madonna of Constantinople” (3 meters high, in Lecce stone); “Monte Tongolo” (discovered in 1951); the two “Vico Nuovo”; the “Croce della Fausa” (from the name of the adjacent cave); the “San Vincenzo” (one of the tallest); the “Palanzano”; the “Madonna del Rosario” (transformed into a votive column with an octagonal plan); the two “Vicinanze” (so called from the name of a nearby rock farmhouse). Another menhir worthy of note is certainly the “San Paolo” which takes its name from the saint to whom the Byzantine crypt on which it stands is named. One of the lowest (about 2 metres) bears the signs of Christianisation in that hole on the top which, it is thought, housed the cross.

• Moving to Giuggianello, we will find the “Polisano” menhir and the “Quattromacine” (in Lecce stone).

• In Martano there is one of the highest Menhirs in Italy, the “Menhir de Santu Totaru“, which reaches 4.70 meters in height.

• 7km from Otranto, on the Serra di Monte Vergine, stands the menhir of the same name, as is the sanctuary that rises at the top of the hill.

Quinces are typically autumnal fruits which, due to their particularly sour flavour, do not lend themselves to being eaten as they are but can be used to make a very sweet and tasty recipe: Lecce Cotognata. Quince jelly is a special quince jam that has a firmer consistency than a normal jam which is more gelatinous and easily spreadable.

In fact, it is often used to prepare it in the shape of small cubes (therefore in special molds) or to make a larger piece to then cut into strips or into the desired shape. Given its flavor that is not markedly sweet but not sour, quince jelly is well suited to being accompanied by sweet or savory preparations. It is a recipe of a peasant and poor nature given that once the gardens were rich in these fruits while now it is more difficult to find them and therefore those who have plenty of them can prepare it easily.

How to prepare the Cotognata

In the Lecce Cotognata recipe, as in the preparation of any other jam, you need, in addition to fruits, sugar and water.

The ingredients to prepare it are:

• 1 kg of quinces (better if ripe)
• 2 lemons
• 500 g of sugar
• a glass of water

Procedure for preparing Lecce Cotognata

1. First, clean and cut the quinces into cubes without peeling them but only removing the core and internal seeds. To prevent them from blackening as they are cut, they can be placed in a container with water and a few drops of lemon.
2. Subsequently, they should be placed in a saucepan to which add the sugar and a glass of water to cook over a low heat until the fruits become soft. Finally add the lemon juice and mix vigorously.
3. As soon as the desired consistency is reached, turn off the heat and filter with the help of a food mill to remove the peels.
4. Then, you can pour the mixture into a large mold or into molds (if they are aluminum, it is better to sprinkle them with oil first) and leave to rest in a dry place (even better in the sun) for 12 hours until the quince jelly has solidified .
5. It can be enjoyed alone or accompanied by bread or mature cow’s or sheep’s milk cheeses, with which you can also prepare skewers by alternating the quince jelly cubes with pecorino cubes. Furthermore, you can prepare a salad made with apples, artichokes and valerian.
6. If you like, instead of white sugar you can use brown sugar. The quince jelly can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks wrapped in cling film or in a tin box with some dried bay leaves.

Curiosities about the Cotognata

There are different parts of Italy where Cotognata is prepared. For example in Sicily the quinces are peeled and then it is the pulp that is cooked together with the lemon. However, the peels and cores are cooked separately and only later are they added to the cooked quince pulp to cook further.

In Emilia Romagna, however, the quince jelly is accompanied by a brushing of grappa on the surface while. In Northern Italy it is customary to add some spices such as cinnamon, pepper, mustard or cloves during cooking.

All you have to do is share the Leccese quince recipe with your friends and/or relatives.

Mussels are a widely used ingredient in typical Apulian cuisine: they are used in first courses, tasty second courses or even in rich appetizers. An example of an appetizer (or second course) in which they are used are Apulian arraganate mussels (i.e. gratinated), a dish that throughout Puglia is made with small variations but in any case always very appreciated. In Salento this dish is called “cozze racanate”.

For the arraganate mussels recipe, in addition to the mussels (which must be opened raw) a few simple ingredients are needed for a highly effective and easy to prepare appetizer.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of mussels
• 2 eggs
• 100 g of grated pecorino
• 200 g of breadcrumbs (or crumbled stale bread)
• a sprig of parsley
• 1 clove of garlic
• white wine to taste
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• pepper as needed.

Method:

1. First, wash the mussels carefully under running water and clean them, then open them in half with a knife and remove the upper shell.
2. Place all the mussels on a baking tray, one next to the other, and sprinkle a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top.
3. Separately, beat the egg with the pecorino, pepper and parsley and pour it over the mussels.
4. Before baking, sprinkle the breadcrumbs, more garlic and the oil over the mussels.
5. Bake for 20 minutes at 200° and, halfway through cooking, deglaze with a little white wine.
6. You will realize that the dish is ready when the mussels have taken on a nice golden colour.

Variations of arraganate mussels

For an even richer variant of arraganate mussels, you can also add tomato puree.

The ingredients for this variant are:

• 2 kg of mussels
• 150 g of breadcrumbs
• 1/2 glass of white wine
• a sprig of parsley
• 1 clove of garlic
• a teaspoon of oregano
• three tablespoons of tomato puree
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt to taste.
• pepper as needed.

Method:

1. First, wash the mussels carefully under running water and open them raw.
2. Pour two tablespoons of salted water into a pan, then place a layer of mussels.
3. Separately, prepare the tomato puree by adding the breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, oregano, oil, salt and pepper.
4. Pour this mixture over the mussels, then sprinkle a drizzle of oil.
5. Cook in a hot oven at 200° for 10-15 minutes and halfway through cooking, deglaze with white wine.

Share the Apulian mussels arraganate recipe with your friends and/or relatives.

Salento Cupeta is an almond brittle of Arab origin, passed into Italy via Sicily with its famous dessert “cubaita” which in turn takes its name from the Arabic dessert “qubbaita“, both desserts very similar to our recipe today. With the new season, there will be plenty of festivals and street parties which cannot miss the scent of toasted almonds and sugar, expertly whipped by the itinerant cupetari. In their shiny mobile shops, the artisans of the cupeta, prepare this very crunchy dessert with the equipment of the past before everyone’s eyes.

The moment in which the amber cupeta at the right point is poured onto the marble is truly magical, it is precisely there that all the mastery of these artisans is expressed. With their skilled hands they stretch out the mixture, with slow and graceful movements before moving on to cutting and selling it. In short, where there’s cupeta, there’s a sense of celebration!

How to prepare Salento Cupeta

Ingredients (for 10 servings):

• 500 g of almonds
• 350 g of sugar
• the juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 whole untreated lemon (and/or an orange)
• 1 sachet of vanillin
• water to taste

Method:

1. Immerse the almonds in boiling water for a few minutes.
2. Let it cool a little and remove the peel. The skin will come off without any problem; just lightly pinch the almonds. Rinse them well with cold water to remove any impurities and dry them.
3. Coarsely chop a small part (about a quarter) of the almonds with a knife and leave the others whole;
4. Place in the oven and lightly toast the almonds (in a preheated oven for 5 minutes at 180°). Once baked, the almonds will therefore be very dry without being toasted.
5. In the meantime, prepare a baking tray by moistening the bottom with olive oil.
6. Lay out a sheet of baking paper and brush it with olive oil.
7. Grate the peel of a lemon (and/or orange), it will flavor the cupeta even more.
8. Pour the sugar and vanilla into a thick-bottomed pan, adding the juice of half a lemon and a spoonful of water.
9. Melt the sugar over low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. However, consider 15 to 20 minutes of cooking.
10. As soon as the sugar begins to brown (it must reach a golden to amber color, never too dark!!!) and takes on the consistency of olive oil, the caramel is ready. Here are some photos to show you the progress of cooking the caramel.
11. When the sugar is golden and starts to make small bubbles, add the almonds (always stirring) and turn off the heat
12. Quickly pour the mixture onto the baking paper (be careful! Don’t burn yourself, the mixture will be hot – around 140°!!
13. Give the brittle the shape you want (in theory, level the mixture to 1/2 cm thick) using a stainless steel spatula or similar;
14. Let it cool (half an hour – an hour) and cut into squares or diamonds while it is still warm. We honestly prefer to cut it roughly with our fingers;
15. Let the mixture cool completely before serving (about 4 hours)! Cupeta should be stored in a cool, dry place (in summer, better in the fridge). Share the Salento cupeta recipe with your friends and/or relatives!

Focaccia from Bari is a true symbol of Puglia, its softness and unmistakable taste make it one of the foods to eat while walking around the city, for an aperitif or for a tasty snack. In addition to being able to find it in various fillings or doughs in the bakeries of Bari and the province, it is also possible to make it at home by kneading by hand or using food processors (such as the Bimby). The result is a soft and fragrant focaccia from Bari just like the one you bought, with the satisfaction of having prepared it yourself with just a few simple ingredients.

Recipe of Focaccia from Bari

The Bari focaccia recipe is typically made with potatoes which make the dough softer and give it its typical flavour.

Ingredients for the focaccia:

• 250 g of re-milled durum wheat semolina
• 170 ml of water at room temperature
• 70 g of boiled potatoes
• 7 g of salt
• 5g of fresh brewer’s yeast
• extra virgin olive oil to taste

Seasoning ingredients:

• 100 g of cherry tomatoes
• 15 black olives
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt to taste.
• oregano to taste

Method:

1. Boil the potatoes and mash them well; leave them aside to cool down so you can use them later.
2. Dissolve the yeast in warm water, add the re-milled semolina, mashed potatoes and salt.
3. Work the dough by hand or with the help of a food processor.
4. Once ready, leave it in a bowl and cover it so that it doubles in volume (it will take about 2 hours).
5. Once the leavening time has passed, grease a baking tray (preferably aluminum) with oil and roll out the dough, stretching it from the sides.
6. Add the cherry tomatoes cut in half, the oil, salt and oregano.
7. Before baking, the focaccia from Bari must rise for another two hours seasoned in this way.
8. After this time, it will be ready to be baked at 220° for about 20-30 minutes.

Variant without potatoes

It is possible to prepare focaccia from Bari even without potatoes: the result will be an equally soft dough and a slightly quicker preparation, precisely because the tubers will not have to be boiled.

Ingredients for focaccia without potatoes:

• 300 g of flour
• 300 g of re-milled semolina
• 360 ml of warm water
• 8 g of fresh brewer’s yeast
• 2 teaspoons of sugar

The procedure will be the same.

A legend states that the “friselle” were brought by Aeneas when he landed in Porto Badisco, near Otranto. The frisedda, fresedda, frisella in the various Apulian dialects or frisa pugliese in Italian, looks like a biscuit donut from an aesthetic point of view, produced with durum wheat but also barley or combined with each other, it is obtained thanks to a double cooking carried out in the oven (biscuit).

After the first cooking, the frisella shape is cut in half, transversally, with the help of a thread (strozzo method), and subsequently the two bottoms of the shape are cooked again in the oven, to completely eliminate the residual humidity of the pasta and then be able to taste it.

Subsequently, the frisella was transformed into a traditional peasant meal, which was seasoned with fresh tomatoes, rocket salad and extra virgin olive oil. Once upon a time, in Puglia, it was customary to bathe the latter directly in sea water, so as to enjoy all the flavors of this region. Fishermen of the past used friselle as bread to take with them to work and wet with salt water, then using it as a base for fish soups.

Nowadays, frisella has become a delicious meal in all respects, perfect to be enjoyed during the summer with the native products of Puglia, during a lunch or directly on the beach during the hottest days.

Let’s not forget, however, that frisella fully occupies a place in the Mediterranean diet and, furthermore, it is healthy and nutritious!

Original recipe for Apulian Frisa

Ingredients

• frize of durum wheat or barley
• tomatoes
• Apulian oil
• salt
• waterfall
• additional ingredients: tuna, oregano and various seasonings

Method

1. To start the preparation, the frisa needs to be soaked in water: everything depends on this. Depending on how you want it to taste better, crunchier or softer, you should leave it in water for about 30 seconds or 1 minute.
2. You can add garlic first, but we prefer it without, especially if it’s your first time.
3. Spread oil, salt, chopped and/or spread cherry tomatoes on top so that the seeds come out and lastly the oregano.
4. Accompany them with olives and a few pieces of fresh cacioricotta or dried tomatoes.

In two minutes you will get a simple but exceptional dish.

Being a typically summer dish, I recommend a good white wine, served chilled, such as Locorotondo D.O.C.

For several years now, there has been a widespread tendency to consume, as an alternative to cow’s milk, almond milk, a drink made from these fruits which can be drunk cold (especially in summer), hot or used to prepare cappuccinos, drinks , granitas or fruit smoothies.

Homemade almond milk is very simple to prepare both with and without equipment (such as the Thermomix), and the variations can be with or without sugar depending on taste.

Sugar-free almond milk: the recipe

Ingredients

• 250 g of already peeled almonds
• 1 liter of water

Method

1. Soak the almonds for at least 12 hours.
2. Blend the fruits in a blender together with the water for 5 minutes (stopping every now and then, if necessary) until a smooth mixture is obtained.
3. Filter the mixture obtained using gauze or even an old pair of tights, occasionally crushing all the almond residues with a spoon (these can be used to prepare desserts or biscuits or even eaten as they are because they contain many nutrients).
4. The remaining part without residues is the actual almond milk.

The milk obtained can be stored in the fridge for about a week.

Almond milk with sugar: the recipe

Ingredients

• 250 g of already peeled almonds
• 1 liter of water
• sweetener of your choice to taste

You can add stevia, honey or even dates or dried figs to the almonds before blending them.

The process is the same used to obtain sugar-free almond milk.

The recipe with the Thermomix

Method

1. Add the almonds (and sugar if desired) to the bowl and blend for 30 seconds at speed 8; then, set the resulting mixture aside.
2. Add the water to the jug and bring to the boil at a temperature of 100° and speed 1 for 7 minutes.
3. Add the blended almonds to the water and set speed 6 for 15 seconds.

The benefits of almond milk

Consuming vegetable milk is not only the trend of the moment but is also good for you: there are numerous benefits of almond milk given that it is rich in Vitamin E. This makes it a natural antioxidant useful for combating the onset of cancer and aging.

It is also rich in Vitamin A and D, proteins, Omega 6 and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium and potassium.

Since it is rich in fibre, it guarantees good intestinal health and its regular functioning. Furthermore, it helps control cholesterol levels.

Last but not least, it has a low calorie content, especially if it is sugar-free, and therefore is ideal for all those who want to lose weight.

Almonds are one of the most used ingredients to prepare delicious desserts. Even in the Apulian culinary tradition, they lend themselves to numerous preparations such as the delicious “mandorle atterrate” (almonds). Apulian landed almonds are a truly special end to a meal, a typical Christmas dessert, easy to prepare even at home, perhaps having fun getting help from your children.

The traditional recipe

Ingredients:

• 500 g of whole shelled almonds
• 500 g of chocolate (dark, milk or white)

Method:

1. Toast the almonds in a baking pan at 200°, being careful not to burn them to prevent their flavor from becoming bitter.
2. While the almonds are cooling, you can melt the chocolate in a bain-marie, stirring occasionally without adding water.
3. Then add the almonds, mixing with a spoon so that they are completely covered in chocolate and a homogeneous mixture is formed.
4. Using a spoon, create small piles of almonds with the chocolate and place them on a baking tray covered with baking paper.
5. At this point it will be sufficient to wait about 3 hours so that the chocolate solidifies well.
6. The landed almonds will detach perfectly from the baking paper and will be ready to be brought to the table.

They can be kept for several days in the fridge in a closed container (you will need to take them out a few minutes before consuming them) but, being very tasty, they will certainly be snapped up.

Since the preparation is very quick, the advice is to prepare them in the three chocolate variations so as to amaze your guests and satisfy all their tastes.

Variation of landed almonds

Apart from the famous version with chocolate, ground almonds can also be prepared with just sugar and therefore be “caramelized”.

Ingredients:

• 500 g of whole shelled almonds
• 350 g of granulated sugar
• 20 ml of water
• a few drops of lemon

Method:

1. In a pan placed on the stove over low heat, add the sugar, water and lemon.
2. Melt the sugar by stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until it starts to string.
3. Add the almonds, continuing to stir with the wooden spoon so that they mix well with the sugar.
4. Place the almonds on a work surface (traditionally “land”) and open them one by one.
5. Let cool and enjoy.

The Salento countryside abounds in many natural products that can be found in the wild, asparagus, various types of herbs including chicory, fennel, beard, many types of mushrooms and one of the delicacies of traditional Salento cuisine, the Municeddhe.

These are the snails that abound in the countryside and are generally collected in the summer season after the rains, from July to September, when the snail has built a kind of white cap around the opening, which in dialect is called “panna” (cream).

The singular name given to the snails derives from their color, which recalls the color of the habit of the Franciscan friars.

It was once available in almost all markets and fruit and vegetable shops although it seems that in recent times its presence has decreased, and this is due to two factors: the first concerns the fact that fewer and fewer people venture into in the countryside to collect them, the second reason is due to the increasingly widespread plowing of the fields carried out with mechanical means, which in some cases compromises their habitat and therefore their survival.

They are tasty prepared in different ways, roasted, boiled or cooked in sauce, accompanied with durum wheat bread. In Salento they have always been eaten in quantity, in Cannole, a municipality in the Otranto hinterland, a summer festival is dedicated to them which over four days brings together crowds of people who handle toothpicks in front of pots and embers which churn out thousands and thousands of municeddhe from serve and eat during performances of Salento popular music.

The recipe for Salento Municeddhe:

Ingredients for 4 or 6 people:

• 1 kg of monicedde mussels
• an onion
• a glass of rosé wine
• 3 bay leaves
• pepper as needed.
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt to taste.

Preparation

Preparation time: an hour and a half.

1. Wash the snails repeatedly, remove the so-called cream (i.e. the foam that protects the shell mentioned above), rinse them again.
2. In a pan, place half a glass of oil, the sliced onion and the bay leaves. When the onion is bruised, pour in the mussels, salt them, flavor them with freshly ground black pepper and when the liquid from the mussels has evaporated, add the rosé wine.
3. Dry over high heat and serve.