Weekend a Ceglie Messapica, Puglia. Città d’arte e terra di gastronomia

Weekend in Ceglie Messapica, Puglia. City of art and land of gastronomyby Cesare ZuccaToday we take you to the discovery of one of the cities whose origins are lost in the mists of time: Celie Messapica, an Apulian jewel of the Upper Salento, in the province of Brindisi.

You will find a real treasure chest of history, embellished with architectural beauties, suggestive corners, alleys with stone arches in a succession of courtyards and small squares populated by a surprising number of restaurants and inns, a true paradise for gourmets!Celie boasts the title of “city of art and land of gastronomy” for the many testimonies of its millenary history and for the local gastronomy, appreciated and recognized throughout Italy.What better destination for a “weekend of beauty and taste”?TO BE SEENThe Ducal Castle and the Norman TowerBuilt around the 11th century, decorated with the coats of arms of noble families and rich in historical and artistic elements such as the 16th century portal.The Church of San DomenicoIn the Baroque style of the sixteenth century, from the school of Bernini.

The Church of San RoccoDated 1595, a remarkable architectural example of the façade and the three naves of its suggestive interior.Piazza Plebiscito and the “Clock Tower”Meeting point of the people of Ceglie., it closes the medieval historic center and opens to the nineteenth-century one.

Piazza Plebiscito and the “Clock Tower”THE KITCHEN OF CEGLIEExtremely varied, due to the influences that Altosalento has received during its long history: Messapians, Greeks, Romans, Normans, Arabs, Saracens, French and Spanish have followed one another over the centuries. Many origins: the gnummarieddi” (grilled lamb entrails rolls) are Roman, the ragù is Norman, the cupeta (almond nougat) is of Arab origin, while the frize (stale bread donuts that are dipped in water, and then seasoned with oil, salt, oregano and the irresistible pummidori di pennula, local cherry tomatoes preserved in bunches).

 The “gnumareddi”The recipes are handed down from generation to generation, the local dishes are homemade and genuine, deeply linked to the products of the land which offers legumes, greens, vegetables, fruit and the celebrated extra virgin olive oil “collina di Brindisi” used to flavor traditional dishes such as broad bean purée, a typical peasant food, cooked in a pignata, an earthenware jug-shaped container. Every morning, as in the past, the fragrant piddish typical morning focaccia comes out of the wood-burning stone ovens, with podorini and black olives, while the Cegliese ice cream conquered the podium of the International Ice Cream Trophy in Rimini.

Freshly taken out of the oven: the irresistible focaccias from Forno GigliolaThe typical dish par excellence is homemade pasta,The famous orecchiette stacchiodde and maccheroncini strascinati stand out, served with tomato sauce, meat sauce or with the traditional turnip greens and anchovies.My discovery, in a hidden alley, here are the “strascinati” with tomato and cacioricotta, served in the suggestive “M’Ami?” The chef is Piotr, of Polish origin, in love with Ceglie.

The Christmas festivities see on the table thepettole, fried balls of flour and boiled potatoes, the “twisted” friselle seasoned with honey, sugar or cooked wine, while the cegliese biscuit, a pastry made with toasted almonds

The “Cegliese biscuit”, local excellenceSuperstar Sandwich!Gaetano, nicknamed “King of the Cegliese sandwich” in his “Caocolleria” offers typical products of the area and, if you insist a little, he prepares “live” one of the local specialties: the stuffed “Cegliese sandwich” (strictly in this sequence ) from tuna ventresca, capers, soft mortadella and provolone cheese.

Gaetano and his famous “Panino Cegliese”TOP CHEESESMasseria Fragnite, whose history dates back to the 1700s, until the arrival of the Duke of Ceglie who in 1832 began a process of restructuring and reorganization of production, transforming it into warehouses for storing goods and a courtyard for animals to which will be added the casedde and the typical trulli to house the laborers and their families.

The ancient Masseria FragniteAmong the cheeses, the asckuante ricottas stand out, spicy but at the same time delicate, the cacioricotta, a soft and tasty cheese and the very tasty caciocavallo.

Caciocavallo in progressWhy “caciocavallo”? According to some, the name derives from the method of conservation, where, still fresh, it is hung from a horse on a beam. According to others, however, the term brings us back to the custom of bringing the wheels to the market, in pairs, on the back of a horse.

Three excellent dairy products from Masseria FragniteTASTE ON THE TABLE!FriseddeClassic bakery products: taralli with wild fennel seeds.CartiddateSimilar to tapered friselle, they are seasoned with honey, sugar or cooked wine (must concentrate obtained by cooking).Homemade breadCooking takes place in wood-burning stone ovens. The brown colored loaves can be kept for up to a week maintaining the original fragrance.PiddicheddaLarge Easter tarallo covered with melted sugar (typical of Ceglie)RosoliLiqueurs produced at home in a simple and ancient way, in particular the strawberry tree liqueur.Shopping: souvenirs from Ceglie, the festive luminous objects, the ceramic “pumi” lucky charms, a symbol of prosperity and the delicate Punto Antico embroideriesCELIE PARADISO “GOURMET”: The places we have selected for you.Roast shop Bogno AnticoCapatostaBraceria dei Santi, CapotostaOsteria L’Arco AnticoThe watering restaurantEno Cocus – Grapes and CoalL’Acquolina, L’ Antico Arco, Eno Cocus

WHERE TO SLEEPIn the center of Ceglie MessapicaB&B Sant’AnnaA bed & breakfast and two studio apartments with the charm of traditional 19th century stone houses, in the historic center overlooking a private garden,White stones on the walls, arches, fireplaces and high ceilingsThe stone vaults are embellished by the ancient natural niches and frames of refined period furnishings, the ideal solution for a stay that smacks of history and comfort, from the queen size bed to the brand new shower in the cave, while here and there objects reminiscent family memories, like grandma’s sewing machineUnder the building there was the ancient public cistern to which the people of the neighborhood could draw water from an external window, today those niches are special cabinets. The breakfast with biscuits, pies, bread and homemade desserts brought to the terrace by the delightful Pamela Filomeno who manages and takes care of these structures. with passion and love. Accommodation is air conditioned and comes with an LCD TV and private bathroom.For those looking for “quality-price”, these lodgings fit perfectly.

B&B Sant’AnnaIn a wonderful farmhouseMasseria CamardaFounded at the end of the 1800s as an agricultural center, it then specialized in the production of oil, wheat, vegetables, legumes and its large stables housed goats, sheep and cows.

Masseria CamardaFerrari and Puglia, the passions of Cesare Fiorio.In the Masseria I meet Cesare Fiorio, great automotive champion with Lancia in rallies and in F1 with Ferrari and other teams, as well as conqueror of the Atlantic Ocean with ship Destriero. Today Fiorio lives in Celie, in Puglia, a land that he loved so much that he wanted to make it known to everyone.

Cesare Fiorio in his Masseria“I switched from racing engines to the agricultural tractor, says Fiorio, in search of an almost lost dimension, without the stress of daily worries where one can enjoy the tranquility of ancient personal relationships, healthy and genuine food and the magical atmospheres that these earths still know how to create.””A place, Fiorio explains to me, which represents a lifestyle choice and the pleasure of sharing its tranquillity, the scents and colors of the Salento countryside”The farm offers elegant accommodation inside the characteristic trulli and housed in ancient stone stables with traditional barrel vaults. The swimming pool is positioned in the middle of an orchard where, in addition to the vineyard, there are cherry, pomegranate, apricot, pear, persimmon, green and black fig trees, prickly pear, almond and hazelnut trees.Motor racing could not be missing: in the large stone hall the bodywork of Mansell’s Ferrari F1 stands out, winner of the Brazilian GP, while Alessandro and Maria Paola Fiorio are the creators of the Fiorio Cup, this year in its second edition. With eight riders who challenge each other on a course created within the property’s area. All around, there is a vast countryside where extra virgin olive oil of superior quality is produced, primitive wine, “senator” type wheat Cappelli”, basic ingredient for the production of the typical Apulian orecchiette, vegetables, forage, fruit, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, capers, chickpeas, lupins.

The poolOn sale at the Masseria, you can find tomato puree, jams, the famous “married” figs, products that are offered to guests in the rich morning breakfasts prepared by the expert hands of Sara Senofonte.

The succulent breakfastWhat a buffet! All homemade: cakes, fruit tarts, focaccia biscuits and the ever-present taralli, also called Scaldatelli, a true symbol of Apulian cuisine and “principles” of the tableHIS MAJESTY THE TARALLOHIS MAJESTY THE TARALLOTraditional or flavored with fennel seeds, chilli pepper, olives or dried tomatoes. Excellent excellent for a snack, an aperitif or with a good glass of red wine.Small, cunning and tempting, sweet or savoury, one leads to another!How peckish, right?And since the real taralli are homemade, how can we make them at home?The important thing to obtain a good result is to follow step by step what is suggested in the original recipe of homemade Apulian taralli. of which Sara kindly gives us the recipe.

Sara and the Apulian taralli. TRADITIONAL APULIA TARALLI.Ingredients for about half a kilo500gr of flour 00 (Sara uses Senatore Cappelli)160ml of dry white wine160ml of rigorously extra virgin olive oil! soup spoon of fine saltPreparationMix all ingredients in a bowlWork with your hands until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough.Take a piece of dough and form loaves 5 cm long and as thick as your index finger, join the ends forming rings,Arrange the taralli on a baking tray and bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.Take them out of the oven, let them cool a bit and… enjoy them!Masseria Camarda has decided to offer its guests local cuisine, seen, experienced and re-interpreted by the talented Chef Maurizio, natives of Turin with an extended stay in the kitchen of his restaurant in Cervinia and then arriving in Ceglie, where every evening he prepares delicious dinners, exclusively for guests of the Masseria.I met him for a short interview

Chef Maurizio, at the helm of the Masseria Camarda restaurant, reserved only for guestsHello Maurizio, after 25 years in Cervinia, have you landed in Ceglie, Why?Maybe I’ve had enough of white, All that snow…Here I found colorful nature, wonderful sunsets, the blue of the sea and the warmth of the Fiorios. My life has become colourful.What have you “imported” from Piedmontese cuisine into your Apulian menu?I let myself be inspired by the ingredients of the classic bagnacauda which I transformed into a creamy sauce to flavor the typical “hanging” pasta of Ceglie.

A dish from Maurizio: the typical “pasta hung” with vegetablesThe local ingredients that have entered your Turin gastronomic mentality?Local vegetables, especially those we grow here in the Masseria.I got to know them, tried them, appreciated them, and now they are at the top of my kitchen. (laughs) I never use them: horseradish and wasabi. You will never find them in my paitti or even in my fridge at home.

Cesare Fiorio oil accompanies the vegetables from the Masseria’s gardenIs there a dish you would like to put on the menu, but…?And how: potato gnocchi as my father Bruno used to make them. I tried to imitate them, but I don’t know how or why, they never came to me like his… Exquisite and, I must admit, inimitable!Is dinner here for guests only?Exactly. There is no written menu, everything spoken, naturally taking into account any allergies or intolerances. At the basis of the Masseria, there is communication with our guests, even in proposing and ordering a dish. Ah, I forgot here we do not indicate the prices. The price is set by the guest when he has finished eating, free to evaluate what the right price is.HOW TO GET TO CELIECelia Messapica is about 40 kilometers from Brindisi. It is easily reachable by car (own or rented) or by bus (about an hour and a half) or, as I did, contact a local guide who, in addition to transport, will introduce you to the city and its surroundings. I entrusted Michael’s Tours piloted by the expert and super dynamic Michele Miccoli, a native of Ceglie, who told me stories, anecdotes and secrets of the city, making me discover it as only a local person can.

Thanks Michael! and thanks to Antonella Millarte, very kind Head of the Puglia Promozione Press Office who suggested and made me discover this wonderful Apulian destination.