“It’s the squeak in your mouth as you chew,” a bystander whispers as traditional Italian cheesemaker Anna Casulli transforms a bowl of curd into the plaited bright white mozzarella I recognise from deli counters at home. Fresh food is almost a religion in Puglia, the long region in the heel of Italy’s boot, where local producers speak about their creations with enthusiastic pride and passion.

They may lack the style and sophistication of dishes created further north, but nowhere else will you find eating more connected to local culture. The olive, the grape and wheat are staples here, symbols of family peace, abundance and fertility printed on tablecloths in local trattorias.