APULIAN TRADITIONAL TARALLO

Traditional taralli, also called ‘tarallini’, are a delicious finger food typical of the gastronomic tradition of Puglia.

As it is often the case of many Italian recipes, many of its excellent foods originate from the poor and peasant tradition.

Among these we certainly find the taralli, a traditional Apulian speciality that includes very few ingredients, those simple and easy to find in the countryside and that almost everyone could have at home. In fact, it takes only four ingredients to make these tasty little circles of bread including flour, olive oil, a pinch of salt and white wine.

This is a very old recipe; we find the first evidence of the preparation of these bread rings already in the Renaissance period. When southern Italy was hit by a period of great famine, which made it difficult for the people of Puglia to find nutritious fresh food, forcing the poorest people, in particular, to use the little they had at home to prepare something to eat. In fact, the taralli were born as a ‘makeshift dish’ created by a desperate mother who put together the last of her pantry leftovers to feed her children.

As for the origins of the name, there are many theories but little confirmation. It could come from the Latin word ‘torrere’, which means ‘toasting’, because of their crunchy and slightly brown appearance. According to other theories, it may instead derive from the Italic term ‘tar’, meaning to wrap, or from the French term ‘danal’, meaning round bread, indicating its typically round shape. Also from the French, some trace it back to the term ‘toral’, which means ‘dryer’. Of all these hypotheses, the one most considered now regards the Greek ‘daratos’, which translated means ‘sort of bread’ since it is a baked product.

Although their origin seems to have happened by chance, this simple recipe spread to all houses of the ‘heel of the boot’ becoming one of the most famous food products of Puglia, appreciated and known all over the world.

In fact, these little rings continue to fill rich dishes on the table, and they are also used as delicious snacks or appetisers.

Besides, spices are often added to the base of the dough, made up of the four simple main ingredients, to give it a more special flavour, such as fennel seeds, rosemary or hot chilli peppers.

The taralli are firmly rooted in the Apulian peasant tradition, in fact, it is usual in country houses to offer them to guests together with a good glass of wine. As a curiosity, the popular expression ‘finire a taralli e vino’ (ending in taralli and wine) is used to indicate that a situation has been resolved and peace is restored.