The tarallo, one of the symbols of Apulian gastronomy, is a simple string of flour, water, oil, white wine, salt and fennel seeds. Let's find out more.
The origins of taralli
Taralli, from the Greek word daratos, meaning a kind of bread, were born in 1400 during a great famine that raged in Apulia. Legend has it that a mother, in order to feed her children, mixed water, flour, oil and white wine - ingredients that have always been a staple in Apulian pantries - and obtained a dough from which she made the famous snacks in the shape of an irregular ring. After a while, she put them in the oven, cooking what would become one of the symbols par excellence of Apulian tradition.
The evolution of the recipe
Further evolution of the recipe occurred when housewives realised that in order to give the tarallo more crunchiness, they would have to boil it before baking it in the town ovens. Along with this new step in boiling water came spices such as fennel seeds, which enriched the original recipe. Felice Giovine, Apulian historian and founder of the Centro studi Baresi as well as of the Accademia della lingua barese, claims that «every area has its own typical taralli, even if they are made with the same ingredients. They can be circular or eight-shaped» and that taralli are home-made preparations that only became bakery products in the 1950s.
Taralli, the pilgrims' food
Even literature celebrates this tasty baked product, ascribing it to the food of the poor and pilgrims. Thus Matilde Serao in “Il ventre di Napoli” (The Belly of Naples) writes that the tarallo was born as a poor man's sustenance for the people of the “fondaci” who, in total destitution, found a way to survive in the leftovers from the baking process. It was between the 19th and 20th centuries that this product was revalued and its recipe jealously guarded. «In the Land of Bari, those from Palo del Colle were very famous,» Felice Giovine confirms. 'Taralli were used by the ziazì (pilgrims) as sustenance food during the long journey from Campania, Basilicata and Abruzzo to Bari. They arrived in Apulia in May to honour St Nicholas'.
“Tarall'e zzucchère”.”
The history of the tarallo is also intertwined with the religious and folkloric dimension, starting with the Good Friday procession where, in the past, following the statues and processions were the so-called spassattìimbe, i.e. sellers of lupins, dried fruit and pumpkin seeds. With them, there were also those selling scelèppe, i.e. large taralli covered in icing, a variant of the product created to feed the poor. These street vendors were often asked for information on the procession route and their answer was «tarall'e zzucchère», a way of requesting the purchase of taralli in exchange for the information offered. «Since then,“ Giovine confirms, ”if someone asks a genuine Bari resident for any information, they will answer »tarall'e zzucchere''.
It is from this singular story that one of the simplest yet most loved products in Italy and around the world was born, a perfect gift to take home after a holiday in Puglia to never forget the flavour and fragrance of the Apulian sun.
Today, tarallo is everywhere: supermarkets, bakeries, bars, delicatessens, restaurants. The Apulian one has also been listed among the traditional Italian food products (P.A.I.). Fiore di Puglia, a company of excellence in the food sector in Corato (Ba), is always looking for ideas to innovate this cornerstone of regional gastronomy. From pizza to olives, through classic and artisanal lines and above all sustainable packaging, the tarallo still shows the great secret of its success: its unmistakable versatility.
