Guided small group tours in Puglia - explore the real Made in Italy and the Mediterranean diet With our small group tours in Puglia you will be overwhelmed by delicious tastes, heady scents and gaudy colors: an experience for all senses! Passion and simplicity are key ingredients: the Mediterranean diet in Puglia is expression of the finest and real Made in Italy, an immaterial heritage highly regarded all around the world and recognized by the UNESCO. But what lies at the heart of the Mediterranean Diet? For us Italians, food isn’t about eating, it’s about experiencing. Made in Italy is firstly a rich legacy, deeply rooted in our history and culture, which has become a real way of life. And let me tell you: you haven’t experienced the real Italian way of life until you come to Puglia! A real delight for all foodies! So let’s discover the real Made in Italy and the Mediterranean diet thereby exploring the main features at the core of food culture in Puglia. The highlights of the Mediterranean diet We are The Mediterranean diet is a cheerful way of eating that celebrates healthy food, while keeping a strong focus on taste and pleasure. A well-balanced cuisine with “healthy” fats and carbs which can improve brain function and heart health, and even prevent chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer. A real blessing! It is mainly based on vegetables and legumes, so healthy foodies and vegans that reach Puglia will be really spoilt for choice! Now let’s dive into the highlights of the Mediterranean diet. The linchpin of the Mediterranean diet? Of course, the King of the kings: the Extra Virgin Olive Oil! This ingredient can never miss on the table, and it is and preferably tasted uncooked to get its real flavor. Together with garlic, onion, and aromatic spices, it is the best flavoring to all Apulian dishes. With our small group tours to Puglia you can discover this centuries-old tradition by visiting ancient olive mills and experience an olive oil tasting with the best producers and experts. Remember that Puglia has more than 60 million olive trees, and it’s the leading producer of extra-virgin olive oil in Italy, bringing this tradition to the tables of every Italian spread across the peninsula! Another beating heart of Apulian cuisine: durum wheat, the base for Apulian bread and pasta such as “orecchiette”, small eared-shaped pasta, which is a real pride of Made in Italy. Using wheat, Apulian also create “taralli”, little ringed dry bagels. In Puglia, we say: “è finito tutto a tarallucci e vino”, i.e. everything ended up with taralli and wine, in order to say that everything ended up well and peace had been restored. Genuineness derives mostly by the high quality of produce: sun-grown vegetables that combine masterly with the Adriatic and Ionic seafood and the meat products from rougher and unspoiled hilly areas. Over the centuries its inhabitants, farmers, shepherds and fishers have managed to use every disposable ingredient with ingeniousness and taste. Local and historical identity of the real Made in Italy With our guided small group tours in Puglia, you will understand one thing: food is a family and friendship affair. Apulian food is a way of gathering together, and it promotes conviviality. It’s both foundation and enhancement of social relations which date back to the rural community. Mediterranean diet and Made in Italy are the best expression of the history of a collective memory, a millenary tradition which started back in the Greek civilization, passing down to the Romans until our days. It’s a symbol of the historical and social diversity of our country. It’s not simply a way of eating but a whole bundle of expertise, knowledge, customs, traditions. A food culture which is made of love and passion, tradition and mastery, passed down orally from one generation to another: a heritage which is cultivated day by day with commitment and care, beauty and minute details. Little secrets that you will discover with our small group tours, because a little special touch is enough to create a unique meal, where tastes and colors melt on the table, contributing to their success. So, the Mediterranean diet and the Made in Italy go beyond the simple cuisine: hospitality and simplicity blend to reach the best result. According to a famous saying: when you are in Puglia, you cry twice, when you arrive you will weep out of joy and when you leave to bid farewell. So be ready! VIEW OUR BEST PUGLIA TRIP