The Apulian Taralli are a concentrate of flavor and tradition that has become famous well beyond the borders of the region Puglia. Their story is very long, contrary to the list of ingredients, few but good, which make it a simple but really irresistible recipe.
THE TRADITION
These tasty snacks have become one of the emblems of the Apulian tradition. That of the Taralli, in fact, is an ancient recipe of poor origin which, according to legend, was born precisely from the need for a mother to feed her child in times of famine.
It was the fifteenth century and at the time, in Apulian pantries there was never a lack of flour, oil and wine. And it is with these three ingredients that this kind mother has kneaded the first Taralli of history. Soon this expedient went around the region and in so many appealed these delicious little rings in times of hardship. And indeed, very soon, the recipe was enriched with further tasty ingredients that ranged from the classic fennel seeds, to olives, up to chilli and all that fancy fantasy suggest.
Apulia on its list includes four crunchy delicacies (simple taralli, egg-based ones, wine-flavored tarallis and those of the Immaculate Conception).
The Taralli, therefore, are small, crunchy and ring-shaped prepared with a dough made from flour, extra virgin olive oil and wine. The evolution of the recipe has also led to the introduction of other ingredients that enrich the flavor. What gives the taralli pleasant roasted flavor is the baking in the oven which, according to a tradition consolidated over time, is preceded by a brief boiling which makes them even more crispy.
In combination with wine, beer or any drink you choose to sip for a tasty aperitif or even alone, to munch on as a snack at any time of the day. For those who like to change their taste at every bite there is only the embarrassment of the choice of different tastes to try: from simple taralli to those with fennel seeds, olives and chilli up to the most imaginative ones with a pizza, Mediterranean taste cheese and even bacon.
THE RECIPE: Ingredients
1kg of flour type “00”,
0.30 l. of dry white wine,
gr. 30 of salt up,
0.25 l. of extra virgin olive oil.
Mix together the flour, wine, oil and salt to obtain an elastic and homogeneous paste.
Let it rest, covered with a cloth, for 20 minutes in a cool place. In a large pot bring the water to a boil in which you have added 1 tablespoon of salt.
Now, form the taralli by extracting from the dough sticks of about 1 cm in diameter and about 8-10 cm in length and close them on themselves by overlapping the ends and crushing them with your finger so as to seal them. Take a dozen at a time and dip them in boiling water and remove them, helping yourself with a slotted spoon, as soon as they rise to the surface. Place them on a cloth, one next to the other, to dry for a few minutes. Oil a baking pan and place the bagels without letting them touch each other.
Bake them in your oven, which you have previously brought to 200 °, and cook them for about 40 minutes.
THE TERRITORY
The combination of the attractions that Apulia contains is truly happy, from the 860 kilometers of coastline with sheer cliffs and Caribbean looking beaches, to quality food and wine. Stone churches, Romanesque cathedrals, the castles of Frederick II and the Baroque treasures enrich its artistic profile. Puglia is the trulli, ravines, puli and dolines, the national parks of Gargano and Murge, the marine reserves of the Tremiti Islands and Torre Guaceto. Puglia is the basilicas, cathedrals and sanctuaries, different artistic expressions united by faith. They are the famous terracotta whistles of Rutigliano, the lace of the Gargano, the ceramic products of Grottaglie and the artifacts made in Salento with the soft Lecce stone, wrought iron and papier-mâché. Puglia is the rhythms and colors of the Taranta and of the Salento pizzica.
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