The Street of Orecchiette

It’s time to let your stomach take the lead, as you find yourself at the heart of some of the most flavorful streets in Italy. Right here, you’re standing in front of Via Arco Alto, the street of the high arch, and its neighbor, Via Arco Basso, together known as the Strada delle Orecchiette. There’s no museum here, no historical reenactment, just women, wooden tables, semolina, water... and a knife. Orecchiette, literally “little ears,” are the iconic pasta of Bari. Their history dates back at least to the 12th and 13th centuries, during the Norman-Swabian rule. One of the spicier theories suggests they were inspired by small fried cakes from the local Jewish tradition, Orecchie di Aman. And that unique concave shape? Some say it mimics the famous trulli roofs of Puglia. It’s certainly perfect for holding as much sauce as possible. Every morning, starting at ten o'clock, the nonnas of Bari Vecchia set up their little tables in front of their homes and get to work. The process is ancient: the dough is rolled into a sausage, cut, and stretched with a knife to turn the orecchiette onto itself. The experts make forty to sixty in a minute, without even looking at their hands, all while chatting with their neighbors. Once shaped, the pasta dries on wooden racks in the sun, with a second grate placed on top to keep the pigeons away. And if that’s not enough, some nonnas aren’t shy about grabbing a broom, or even firecrackers! If you’ve got cash on hand, now’s the time to grab a kilo of these fresh orecchiette, you won’t regret it. If you want to take a picture of the nonnas, it’s best to ask for permission first; a simple “Posso fare una foto?” works wonders.