It’s a cracker! It’s a breadstick! It’s tarallini! Step aside boring potato chips and stale peanuts, there’s a new snack in town.
This isn’t just any snack. Native to Southern Italy, taralli Pugliesi can be found at bakeries, gas stations, trainstation kiosks, and luxury hotels. Travelers to Puglia will return home wondering exactly what were those “Italian pretzels'' or “Italian hard bread rings.” The answer? Tarallini.
These little rings of baked dough are crunchy, chewy, and filled with an intriguing flavor that keeps you coming back for more. Once you start, you just can’t stop.
Tarallini, and the bigger version taralli, are made with simple ingredients—wheat flour, salt, water, wine, and extra virgin olive oil. They are briefly boiled and then baked to a crisp.
The boiling step might seem strange, but it’s quite common. Bagels, pretzels, and breadsticks all see some hot water before the baking process. This creates a crisp exterior and a chewy interior. The secret to their irresistibility.
Buy Taralli: Decarlo Organic Tarallini (8.8oz)
Taralli History, A Story of Making Due
The original taralli recipe goes back to the 1400s.
Like every great Italian food story, it starts with a resourceful nonna. With an empty pantry and limited resources, the nonna had to get creative to feed her family. She made a dough with the few ingredients available–flour, olive oil, salt, and wine–and baked it in the oven. The result? Taralli. Over time, the recipe evolved and changed for the better including the crucial boiling step.
Today, taralli has earned Prodotto Agroalimentare Tradizionale (PAT) status. An official stamp of approval for traditional, regional food products of historical and cultural value.
A Wine Taster’s Secret Weapon
The simplicity of tarallini make them incredibly versatile.
They pair well with red and white wine, as well as sparkling options. Looking for a stronger option? Tarallini were practically made for Italian aperitivos like an aperol spritz, negroni, or americano.
Perfectly delicious as a standalone snack, they also play well with others—cured meats and cheese, specifically. Tarallini look great on a charcuterie board or appetizer plate.
That’s not all. These are a wine insider’s secret weapon during a long, multi-round wine tasting. An open box or two are always around during marathon tastings at Envoyer headquarters.
These are not your standard-issue, flavorless, wine-tasting crackers. Enough flavor to intrigue the palate, but not too powerful to overpower the senses. Skip the saltine or oyster crackers and step up your wine-tasting game.
Simplicity Demands the Best Ingredients
The tarallini from DeCarlo, one of Italy’s premier olive oil producers, are made with 100% organic ingredients. This is the best option to sample taralli classico. The flavor that comes through such simple ingredients is testament to the quality. Out of all the tarallini we’ve tried, DeCarlo offers the best version—rich, salty, and crumbly. The high quality olive oil shines through in each bite.
Save yourself a trip to Puglia and purchase the real-deal taralli tradizionali for your next wine tasting. You won’t be disappointed with these bite-sized delights.
Buy Tarallini: Decarlo Organic Tarallini (8.8oz)
