When traveling on our walking tour through Puglia, the “heel of the boot” of Italy, food is everywhere. Beneath majestic olive trees, there are fields of red earth planted with vegetables, and the nightair smells like celery. Long expanses of wheat fields produce the local flour used in excellent crusty bread, and then there are the raucous fish markets, teeming with wriggling sea creatures. And we haven’t begun to get to the exquisitely creamy burrata cheese, the oh-so-sweet tomatoes, or the heady Primitivo wine, thus named because it describes your ability to make a sentence after a few glasses.
On one occasion, while traveling through Puglia with friends, we stopped in a bar inMartina Franca to have an aperitivo, and the waiter asked if we wanted stuzzichini – appetizer snacks – with our drinks. When we said yes, out came bowls of soft bocconcini of mozzarella, plump green olives, oven-baked black olivesflecked withhot pepper, bits of salami, tiny one-bite pizzette, pickled lampascioni, sun-dried tomatoes, and crunchy taralli, spiced with fennel seeds and black pepper.
In other words, a meal for most people. When we commented to the waiter about how this couldsuffice asdinner, he laughed and said, “Only if you aren’t pugliese.” And so, wanting to fit in with the locals, we headed off to dinner. We found more taralli in the breadbasket at dinner, and they became our addiction during the trip.
Munching ontaralli will just be one of the many things we’ll be tasting on our Puglia Walk , but since that is months away, I decided to make a batch at home. You’ll find my complete taralli recipe at the end of this post, but here are the basics:
Taralli are quite simple to make, with an unleavened dough of flour, salt, extra-virgin olive oil, and white wine. You can leave the dough plain or spice it with fennel seeds or cracked black pepper.
Take walnut-sized pieces of dough and shape into thin ropes about 5 inches (10 cm) long, then bring the ends together to form a ring. It’s okay if they look like a teardrop.
Next, the rings are briefly cooked in a pot of boiling water until they float to the surface, then removed with a slotted spoon and left to cool and dry on a clean cloth.
Place the tarallion a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until the taralli are golden brown. Cool on a rack and serve with an aperitivo – drink the rest of that white wine you used to make the dough – or fill a breadbasket and serve at dinner.
Read more about where we’ll be going on our Puglia Walk,an easy walking tour with fabulous food!
Read similar stories:
Alberobello, the Trullo Town in Puglia
The Mysteries of Lampascioni
Wild Asparagus Walk in Sicily
Prep Time:1 hour, 10 minutes
Cook Time:30 minutes
Total Time:1 hour, 40 minutes
Yield:About 100 taralli
Serving Size:Unlimited!
Ingredients
- 4 cups (1 lb, 500 grams)flour
- 1 tsp (10 grams)salt
- 2/3 cup (150 ml)extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (200 ml)dry white wine
- optional spices:
- 1-2 tspfennel seeds or cracked black pepper
Cooking Directions
- In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt.
- Add the oil and wine, and mix with a fork until the dough forms into a rough mass.
- Dump the dough onto a wooden board and knead it for about 5 minutes, until it is smooth.
- If you want to add any optional spices, knead them into the dough (or divide the dough and add spice to ½ of the dough) – knead well to distribute the spice.
- Cover the dough and let it rest, along with your arms, for 15-30 minutes.
- Pinch walnut-sized pieces of dough, roll first between your hands, and then against the wooden cutting board, so that the dough forms a thin rope, about ½ inch (1 cm) in diameter and 4” long (10 cm).
- Shape each rope into a ring, and seal the edges together by pressing lightly, then set aside the taralli rings on a wooden board and cover with a towel.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Put 6-10 of the taralli into the boiling water, and when they float to the surface – this will only take 30-60 seconds – remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on a cloth to dry and cool.
- Tip: Try not to plop one tarallo on top of another when dropping them into the pot, and if they stick to the bottom, give them a gentle nudge with the slotted spoon
- Put the cooled taralli on baking sheets and bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (200°C) for about 25 minutes, until golden.
- Remove and cool on racks.
- Store in a closed container to keep them crisp, and serve with an aperitivo – they are the a nice accompaniment for the rest of that dry white wine – or pile them into a breadbasket at dinner.
FAQs
Like many foods from the Bel Paese (beautiful country), the recipe for Taralli is hundreds of years old and was originally created out of necessity, yet another representation of the land's deeply rooted history. They are believed to have originated in the Puglia region of southern Italy, around the 1400s.
What is the difference between taralli and tarallini? ›
Taralli are classically formed into rings or ovals about 10 to 12.5 cm (3.9 to 4.9 in) in circumference. Smaller taralli, called tarallini, with a circumference of 3.8 to 7.8 cm (1.5 to 3.1 in), are sold commercially.
What does taralli mean in Italian? ›
A cracker similar in texture to a breadstick, a pretzel, or a sushka, taralli can be sweet or savory.
How do Italians eat taralli? ›
A traditional Italian way to enjoy taralli is with a glass of wine (or grape juice). Dip the cracker into your glass and allow it to soak up some of the liquid. Then, enjoy the way that the texture and flavor transform. Classic taralli are the perfect choice for pairing with your favorite grape.
What is the afternoon snack called in Italy? ›
In Italy, the after-school snack is a cherished afternoon ritual known as "la merenda". It's a time-honored tradition that bridges the gap between the end of the school day and dinner. For most Italian adults, it's a fondly remembered piece of their own childhoods.
Why are taralli so good? ›
They are rich, salty and crumbly, like the best pie crust. And they arrive with a gust of heat, studded with more cracked black pepper than would seem possible, or sensible. “Our taralli are the perfect thing to eat with an aperitivo,” said Shelley Lindgren, the restaurant's wine director and co-owner.
Why do you boil taralli before baking? ›
Just like bagels or pretzels, taralli must be boiled before baking, which creates their characteristic crispy texture.
What does tarallucci in Italian mean? ›
They are also common in the rest of Italy with some adjustments and differences, but the main ingredient- the wine- is omnipresent. “Tarallucci e vino” (tarallucci is an affectionate diminutive of taralli) is an Italian expression too. It generally means that all's well that end's well.
What are Italian sandwiches called in Italy? ›
A panino (plural: panini) is an Italian sandwich which typically uses a bread roll. Fillings may vary, usually it is about cold cuts, cheese, and more rarely vegetables, egg, and fish. A different item is tramezzino (plural: tramezzini). Since it is made with slices of tin...
What crackers do Italians eat with cheese? ›
Snacking and serving
It's traditionally served with crackers, grissini or bread, she says – or, of course, taralli! . “Taralli are perfect to serve with dips, cheeses, antipasti, used as a canapé with your favourite topping, tossed through salads or added to grazing tables,” says Bruno.
Having originated in Puglia—the “heel” of Italy, home to over 60 million olive trees, some thousands of years old—the very best savory taralli taste of little more than good olive oil, lots of salt, and often either fragrant fennel seed or coarsely ground black pepper, the two most classic flavors.
What is taralli al finocchio? ›
They have a wonderful savory flavor, rich with high-quality extra virgin olive oil, and are studded with aromatic fennel seeds. They have an outstanding flaky texture, similar to that of a laminated pastry. Once you've had one, it is hard to resist eating the entire bag of these crunchy, ring-shaped snacks.
Where in Italy was the first taralli made? ›
taralli, Italy's favorite snack! They were created during the late 8th Century by poor workers in Puglia who wanted to make something edible out of left-over scraps of dough since they were starving.
What is the Italian stomach lining dish? ›
Tripe (trippa in Italian) is a classic dish in regional Italian cuisine made from the edible lining of the stomachs of ruminants, primarily cows. In Lombardy, tripe may also be the first part of the small intestine of a veal calf or a steer. It is a simple dish, but it requires many hours of cooking time.
What do Italians eat for dessert in Italy? ›
If you have a sweet tooth, use this guide to Italy's essential desserts and where to find them.
- Sfogliatella. ...
- Panna cotta. ...
- Cannoli. ...
- Tiramisu. ...
- Granita. ...
- Bonet. ...
- Delizia al limone. ...
- Maritozzo.
The history of Pandoro starts in the city of Verona, the birthplace of the confectioner Domenico Melegatti who was the first to patent this soft Christmas cake in the shape of an eight-pointed star at the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce of the Kingdom of Italy in 1884.
What are appetizers referred to in Italy? ›
Perhaps the most popular Italian appetizer, antipasto is a dish made up of a variety of different Italian favorites. Even throughout different regions of Italy, an antipasto appetizer contains different kinds of meats, cheeses, and vegetables.
Where did Italian street food come from? ›
One can trace the history of Italian street food back to ancient Rome, where vendors sold simple, hearty dishes such as fried fish and roasted meats to the working class. These early street foods were often cheap and filling, making them a popular option for those who couldn't afford a sit-down meal.
What is the meaning of tarallucci? ›
In Puglia and Campania, taralli (little baked rings of dough) and wine are always brought out at the end of a meal, humble little tokens that are truly impossible not to love. If somebody is offering you tarallucci and vino, you can't possibly stay mad at them.
