Italian Cooking Holidays in Puglia

Nicknamed the heel of Italy, Puglia is a sunny coastal region in south-east of the country. We base ourselves in the Salento area in the heart of southern Puglia,where you’ll find a wealth of culinary inspiration for your cookery holiday. The region’s cuisine has been influenced over the centuries by its neighbours and invaders. The incredibly rich natural larder of the region is known for producing most of the country’s olive oil, full-bodied wines and its famously intensely flavoured olives, almonds and figs. Learn to cook local specialities like orecchiette (an ear-shaped pasta) con cima di rapa and seafood risotto using the local catch of the day.

Sights to savour along with the turquoise sea and long sandy beaches include the handsome Baroque cathedral in Otranto, with a mosaic floor to rival Ravenna, and the city of Lecce’s more than 40 churches and a noble palazzo built in the 17th and 18th centuries. South of Lecce, the landscape flattens and the sky opens out.  Acres of olive groves and vineyards extend between dry-stone walls.  The coastline of turquoise sea and red cliffs combine to form a dramatic backdrop – the perfect spot for a week of culinary indulgence and relaxation.