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Sensory analysis of Puglia

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Puglia (or Apulia, for English speakers) is the Italian region occupying the heel of the peninsula: an amazing area extraordinarily rich in culture and traditions.

My personal experience was extremely physical and that’s the reason why I decided to describe it via the 5 senses.

Sight

There is no better way of depicting Puglia than using its own peculiar features: the long dry stone walls bordering the roads and the surrounding large green fields, olive groves or vineyards....


...the Masserias, ancient farmhouses now often renovated and transformed in beautiful restaurants or hotels.....


 ...and the trulli, very distinctive buildings characterized by a conical roof and typical of the Valle dell'Istria.



Hearing

Puglia has all the sound of pizzica, the traditional folk dance characterized by a fast rhythm and lots of tambourines. It can be described in words. You have to listen to it...



Smell 

This region is rich in perfumes and certainly that of olive oil is one of the most representative. 

Puglia produces approximately 49% of the total Italian olive oil. Olive trees are an important feature of the landscape and the resulting extra-virgin oil is rich, with plenty of aromas of tomatoes, almonds and olives and with a spicy character. A lot of the production unfortunately gets lost in the blend of various oils from various unspecified parts of  Italy but luckily there are also some very expressive examples. 

 

Taste

Apulian cuisine is an explosion of flavours. Food here is almost religion. This fertile land produces natural products that are the tasty ingredients of the local cuisine: the tomatoes, the olive oil, the chilli, the mushrooms, the wild chicory, but also the bread (a different type almost in every town), the homemade pastas, the mozzarella and burrata and the wine, the best company for your meals. 







Touch

This is a very important sense in this land. People here is proud of their origins, they are expressive and friendly. They don't just shake your hand they hug you vigorously. They invite you to their places. They are approachable and convivial. They are warm people.

Location: Apulia, Italy

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