Streets packed with people who landed from all corners of the world, illuminations coloring the city with new tones and the scent of sea and tradition: this is the summary of the three days of festivities that just ended in the beautiful city of Otranto. On the occasion of its patronal feast dedicated to the Holy Martyrs of Otranto, the city hosted from August 13 to 15 Sentieri del Gusto, an event that, for seven years now, has been celebrating the flavors, traditions and art of Puglia just a stone’s throw from the sea.
As the name itself implies, the idea of the event is that of a route that winds from the Lungomare degli Eroi to Largo Porta Terra, the gate that once led to the old town, the current historic center. During this route, experts from the different stands, located by sector, from AIS sommeliers to agri-food producers or artisans in person, make tourists and others know and experience Puglia’s gastronomic and artisanal excellence.
Thus, from the evocative semicircle of Apulian wine stands, arranged around the War Memorial on the beautiful Lungomare, we move on to the space dedicated to food and agri-food specialties, Largo Porta Terra and Via delle Torri, where the smell of Gargano and Valle d’Itria cured meats mingle with the delicious smell of Bari taralli and the sweet smell of warm Lecce pasticciotto. Then again, cheeses and mozzarella, honey, artisanal beer and vegetables, such as chicory “all’acqua”: typical of the area of Otranto, a food unknown to many and that the people of Otranto, on the occasion of Sentieri del Gusto, want to make known in order to keep the tradition alive. Then, in the varied food expo, there are also stands reserved for Apulian companies, producers of natural cosmetics based on olive oil, aloe vera and other local raw materials of vegetable origin.
Continuing to walk further along the Lungomare, one reaches the area reserved for local artisans, an open-air workshop, where each of them engages in real live performances in working with native materials, such as Lecce stone, papier-mâché and reed, a show that entertains everyone with amazed eyes.
Alongside the Apulian artists, then, there are two stands outside the chorus: not only Southern Italy at the forefront of the Idruntine event of Sentieri del Gusto. The Organization this year, dedicates an area to Central Italy, a geographical area that is trying every day, and with all its strength, to get back on its feet after the earthquakes that have affected not only structures and homes, but also the dignity of the population. Otranto is therefore hosting, in two stands, some producers from the Center with their own typical products from the area and their desire for redemption, demonstrating that taste and tradition do not die, on the contrary, they resist even bad blows thanks to the will of their inhabitants.
A tasty, fragrant and celebratory Apulia, which tells its traditions through fascinating events such as Sentieri del Gusto, and an open, supportive Apulia ready to know and compare its history with the stories of others, helping as it can a beautiful land that still has so much to offer.
