The flavors of Puglia that are disappearing (and those who still preserve them)
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Authentic. Artisanal. Old-fashioned.
You’ve read it everywhere. On the website of the small online shop, on the chain store flyer, on the supermarket label. From being repeated so much, these words don't mean anything anymore.
I’ve decided to stop using them. And to tell you something more uncomfortable instead: there are flavors in Puglia that are disappearing.
A flavor doesn't disappear in a day.
No one announces the end of a flavor. It happens slowly. One year, the local bakery closes on Thursdays. Then on Mondays too. Then it never reopens. And a bread that had been made for generations exists only in the memories of those who ate it.
The reasons are almost always the same.
— The town is emptying out. There are fewer and fewer people left. With the people go the crafts, the shops, the bakeries, the artisans.— The children don't want to continue. The knowledge passes from hand to hand. If the next hand is missing and there is no generational succession, it stops. There is no book where you can find it again.
— The method is too slow for the industry. Long curing, manual processing, small harvests. Everything that isn't profitable for those who produce for large-scale distribution.
When one of these three reasons arrives, the flavor has its days numbered. Unless someone decides to keep it alive.
Who are the guardians:
I call these people guardians. They aren't companies with a marketing department. They are men and women with a name, a town, and a way of working that they don't change to keep up with anyone.
Bottega Imperiale was born for this: to be the living archive of Puglian flavors that are disappearing. Not a shop for typical products. A place where every product has a face behind it.
Here are some of the guardians I currently work with:
Mario Iaculli, Giardino del Sole Olive Mill. Extra virgin olive oil and
artichokes grown on his land, preserved in oil by the hands of wise ladies.
Mario Roca, baker from the Subappennino Dauno. He provides
the *scaldatelli* with fennel seeds. Not to mention his egg *taralli*. He is the perfect example of a bakery that was suffering from closure. He stopped producing bread like the others and dedicated himself to *taralli*, focaccias, cookies, and other baked goods.
Mimmo Cordisco, artisanal butcher from the Subappennino Dauno. His
sausages are unbeatable: horse, pork, donkey. He raises and butchers his own animals. Alessandro Cuna, beekeeper from Salento. He produces 3 types of raw honey without going through industrial heat processes. He owns horses and animals. He has strong roots in the Salento tradition, in addition to being a chef during the winter season.
Mario Roca, Puglian bakery in the Subappennino Dauno (almost on the border with Basilicata). Traditional baked goods
from the Daunia region. [Mario’s product most at risk of disappearing is the egg *tarallo*].
Every time you buy one of their products, you aren't just shopping. You are giving a guardian one more reason to continue.
How to recognize a sincere flavor?
You don't need to be an expert. Four questions are enough.
— Who made it? If there isn't a name, a town, or a recognizable producer, be careful.
— How many ingredients are there? Old-fashioned recipes use only a few.
— Is it available all the time, in any quantity? Small producers work with the seasons. Sometimes a product runs out, and that's okay.
— Can they tell you how it's made? Those who guard a flavor know every step. And they are happy to explain it.
Help us rediscover the missing flavors. We need your sincere help.
Is there a flavor of Puglia that you can no longer find?
The bread your local bakery used to make. The cheese your grandfather bought. The preserve that no one makes anymore. The typical salami from the small village. Write it to me.
Every flavor reported enters the List of Missing Flavors. I choose the most requested ones and set off to find those who still make them. I document the search step by step on Instagram and TikTok. When I find the guardian, the person who reported it is the first to know.
You can write to me on Instagram @labottegaimperiale, on TikTok @bottegaimperialepuglia or on WhatsApp at +393508524863.
Where to start:
If you want to taste the work of the guardians, start with 👉 The First Taste of Puglia 👈 these are 7 products, ordered from the most delicate to the most robust.
If instead you trust us or have already tried some products, I recommend 👉 The Large Puglian Gift Box 👈
Who is writing:
My name is Giuseppe Imperiale. Before opening Bottega Imperiale, I was a courier in Salento, road by road, town by town. I know it like the back of my hand. I delivered goods to private individuals and companies.
Now, thank God, I go looking for flavors. The roads are the same. The reason for
traveling them has changed.
If you want to support this project and help our producers, take a look at our collections by clicking here 👈
