Are you in Puglia with some extra space in your bag? Why not fill it with some delicious pugliese food souvenirs?
Puglia is renowned for its amazing, simple cuisine based on local, fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Bring a bit of Puglia home with you – choose one (or all!) of these handpicked food souvenirs from Puglia.
These suggestions are based on years of living in Italy and visiting Puglia. I’ve got food souvenirs for all budgets, including condiments, wine and cheese.
Gift Baskets: If you’re shopping for someone else, consider buying a couple of these items and making an Puglia-themed food basket with my guidelines:
How to Make an Italian Gift Basket For A Verified Foodie
How To Make An Italian Food Gift Basket From Scratch
DIY Italian Wine Gift Basket – How To Create The Perfect Gift For Wine Lovers
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Where To Buy Food Souvenirs in Puglia
Much of Puglia’s economy is based on local agriculture so while small city shops are great places to buy souvenirs, never overlook a little lady or old man on the side of the road selling their home goods!
Look for food souvenirs at the following stores in Puglia:
- Enoteca – for local wine
- Supermercati – grocery stores
- Mercato – open air markets for jams and oils
- Pizzicheria – deli for canned goods
- Caseificio or negozio di formaggio – for cheese
7 Food Souvenirs from Puglia
Choose a couple of these food souvenirs from Puglia by which to remember your travels. I always pick what I bring back with me based on how much space and weight of my checked baggage.
Olive Oil
Puglia is known for its exceptional extra virgin olive oil.
The region’s warmer climate and ancient olive trees produce some of the best olive oil in all of Italy! The quality is so much better than it is overseas and a little goes a long way.
Drizzle it on your freshest of salads, recipes and Italian specialties and it will last quite some time. I always opt for a tin can if possible, which will reduce the risk of spillage or breakage as you travel.
More On Oil: Get the lowdown on all things olive oil in Italy in
15 Best Italian Olive Oils – To Enjoy in Italy & Bring Home as a Souvenir
Olive Oil Health Benefits – According to Italian Nonne (Grandmothers)
How Italians Cook with Olive Oil
How to Store Olive Oil
Can I Use Olive Oil Instead of Vegetable Oil?
Orecchiette Pasta
Orecchiette, meaning little ear pasta, is a simple water and durum flour pasta made throughout Puglia. It’s a staple ingredient in Puglian cuisine and chances are you tried it on your trip. I always bring a bag of dried orecchiette pasta home with me (no fresh though!) and serve it with a hearty broccoli pasta sauce.
Make It: Be sure you are pronouncing orecchiette correctly and try making them with my recipe for Orecchiette Pasta.
Fig Jam
Because Puglia’s weather is so warm and sunny, it also has an amazingly long and fruitful growing season for produce. This southern Italian region produces some of the best figs and other Italian fruits on the entire peninsula so be sure to grab a jar of fig jam or other fig preserves to bring home and serve with charcuterie or Italian cheese with cocktails at aperitivo!
If you don’t like jam, look for dried figs which are also readily available throughout all of Puglia.
Taralli
Taralli are crunchy, savory ring shaped crackers made from local wheat and olive oil that have become famous throughout all of Italy but the best come handmade from Puglia. They are often flavored with fennel seeds, black pepper, or chili flakes but you will also see them in endless flavors. They are a perfect snack for kids, while traveling to bring back the flavors of Puglia to your home.
Packing Tip: Taralli do break easily so be sure to pack them accordingly. Either put them in your hand luggage or wrap them well in padding such as bubble wrap or clothing.
Local Wine
Puglia also produces a lot of really good wine that never gets enough press, in my opinion. Look for anything made locally, specifically the following:
- Primitivo
- Negroamaro
- Nero di Troia
- Salice Salento
Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Puglia’s sun-dried tomatoes are rich and sweet, making them a great cooking ingredient to stock in your pantry. Italians love to eat them on salads, sandwiches, in pesto and pasta sauces. These are great because they are small and pack up well without the risk of breaking. If you love cooking, this ones for you!
Caciocavallo Cheese
Caciocavallo cheese is cow’s milk cheese that is sharp and tangy. Cheesemaking is an ancient tradition in Puglia, making it one of the best food souvenirs to bring back from the region. The main thing to keep in mind is that to bring back Italian cheese, most countries require that it’s aged (as opposed to fresh such as mozzarella or ricotta) and vacuum packed. Many stores, vendors or producers are happy to do this for you.
Tip: If you are traveling back from Italy in the hottest months, it’s better to either skip the cheese or opt to bring it back on your carry on. Long flights in checked baggage can get HOT and this cheese doesn’t do well in that environment.
Gifts and Souvenirs: Be sure to check out all of my gift guides and souvenir guides!
Curious to learn what else you should bring back from other cities and regions in Italy?
Find the best souvenirs and gifts from Amalfi Coast – Cinque Terre – Dolomites – Emilia-Romagna – Florence – Milan – Naples – Piedmont – Puglia – Rome – Sardinia – Sicily – Tuscany – Umbria – Veneto – Venice.
Or, check out my Condensed Region-by-Region Guide.