The millenarian history of Manduria is a history of a population of farmers. This type of society is reflected in the “poor and simple cooking” .
The country offers in large quantities grapes, olives, wheat, and tomatoes that are the pilasters of the local nourishment. Among the traditional dishes we can found “li fai e foie”, a mash of broad beans with vegetables and oil. Very important is a kind of pasta made in home called “li pizzarieddi” and “ la làjana” cut in little squares.
There is then “la frisedda” which represents the masterpiece of the cooking of Manduria. It is a ring shaped salt cake of wheat, cooked in the oven and cut in two parts. To taste it you have to put it in the water and when are well soaked you can season it with salt, oil, tomatoes and marjoram.
Considerable is the production of dairy-farming: we have sheep’s milk cheese, little piquant; le “pampanelle” (soft cheese derived from the cream of milk and hold between the leafs of fig-tree).
There is then a gastronomic tradition, in particular confectionary during the holy days: “li pettuli” and “li purcidduzzi”, round fried pancakes and little pieces of fried paste, garnished with honey. We have also “li scarceddi”, sweet and salt rolls shaped of little wicker baskets which have in the middle hard boiled eggs, cooked in the oven. They are the typical sweet of Easter.