David Didzunas writes: La Tana del Riccio provides the best location to give you an authentic experience of old world Southern Italy lifestyle, cuisine, tradition. The surrounding are quite and allows you to adventure off to find unique and exciting places in the area. The accommodations are beautifully appointed, the owners have kept the original architecture intact and in style but have not missed any modern convenience. Looking forward to return, it will be my vacation destination year after year.
PS- I just loved local food specialities and of course enjoyed the Orecchiette lesson in the Tana del Riccio Kitchen with Signora Tina to learn how to prepare real hand made pasta. It was fun and worth it- The Salento cuisine is famous worldwide for its strong flavors and high quality products it offers. It is a simple but tasty cuisine. Among the main ingredients used in the area there are simple things, such as flour, barley, wheat and vegetables. And there’s also oily fish and meat, especially horse meat and lamb.
Among the typical dishes, there are the Ciciri e tria, a fresh pasta similar to tagliatelle noodles but without egg, partially fried in olive oil and partially boiled with chickpeas, with which it is served.
And then there is Scapece, a dish of medieval origins, a plate of fried fish preserved in a special marinade made of bread soaked in vinegar, with the addition of saffron. Finally, Cecamariti, savory pancakes made from flour and vegetables, including onions, zucchini, tomatoes, capers and peppers.