TARALLI WITH FENNEL SEEDS

Terre di Puglia Taralli with Fennel Seeds are traditional Apulian Taralli with extra virgin olive oil enriched with fennel seeds. They are handmade with genuine ingredients, including 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil from Apulia. Thanks to the addition of the fennel seeds, they are crispy, fresh and very fragrant.

Packaged in a pretty cardboard box, they can be conveniently placed in the pantry to always have them on hand or gifted as a tasty and traditional present. 

Taralli are small crispy ring-shaped bites and they are the snack par excellence for tasty aperitifs or traditional appetisers in the Apulian gastronomy. The typical recipe calls for a dough made from flour, extra virgin olive oil and white wine. Given the great success of this snack, several producers have revised the classic recipe by adding spices or flavourings to obtain a richer and more particular taste. Taralli with fennel seeds are an example of this.

Moreover, the traditional Apulian preparation requires that, in order to obtain crispy Taralli with a unique and characteristic taste, they are first boiled briefly in water and oil and then baked in the oven. This step, together with the use of genuine, quality ingredients, makes it possible to obtain a product with an optimal taste and texture.

Regarding the etymology of the word ‘tarallo’, there are several interpretations and the exact origin is still unknown. Despite this, various theories and legends have developed over the years. The most widespread ones trace the word ‘tarallo’ back to the Latin word ‘torrere’, meaning to toast, or to the combination of ‘tar’, from Italian, with ‘danal’, from French, referring to a rolled bread traditional to the areas beyond the Alps.

Historical background

As for the etymology of the word ‘tarallo’, there are many different stories about the origins of this product. According to the most widespread theory, Taralli were born around the 15th century, as a result of a simple necessity that, as often happens, gave rise to one of the most iconic products of Italian gastronomy.

The story goes that a woman, finding herself without food for her children, decided to make them something with the ingredients she had in her pantry, namely flour, salt, oil and white wine. Then, she made thin strips from the dough, which she twisted to form rings. After leaving them to rest, she proceeded to bake them in the oven. The recipe underwent improvements in later years, for example, the step of boiling in boiling water and oil before baking was added. This step gives the dough softness and its traditional crunchiness and crispness once baked.

Processing

The preparation of traditional Apulian taralli involves just a few simple steps. First, genuine, quality ingredients are selected and mixed, until a dough with an elastic consistency is obtained. Then, sticks of about 8 cm in length by 1 cm in diameter are formed. Next, the typical ring shape is created by overlapping the two ends. Finally, they are double-baked: first, they are boiled in boiling water and oil until they rise to the surface and then baked in the oven for about half an hour.