If you’ve ever been to Alberobello, you know that this little white town looks like a fairytale with all the trulli houses.
In the heart of Alberobello there is a special trulli house where you can have great organic, mostly vegan food. At Terra Madre they had a dream. A dream where man and land rediscovered their old friendship.
The concept is simple: sowing, growing and harvesting by using the compost they produce on site and recycling the biodegradable products from the breakfasts they serve at their hotel Charming Trulli.
The compost is used in the organic garden behind the Trattoria, where the first fruits grow, as well as in Terra Madre Country, about 2 hectares of land situated a few km from the city center, which are divided into 3 small plots cultivated 2 months apart one from the other to guarantee the crop rotation.
At Terra Madre they want to celebrate vegetables. And they do. Instead of using the freezer, fruits remain on the tree until they reach maturity, to ensure that they are as fresh and flavorsome as nature intended. Isn’t that the best?
The cuisine is simple, with strong and intense flavors and they only use organic ingredients.
The Trattoria is an old trulli house consisting of four beautifully restored cones, where antiquity and modernity are wonderfully combined.
As they explain on their website: ‘The themed rooms are the distinctive trait of the Trattoria. In the alcoves called Winter Organic Garden and Summer Organic Garden, each table is identified by one of the vegetables harvested during their respective seasons. Other tables take their name from the typical dishes of the local tradition. Another room is completely dedicated to bakery products and bread, obtained by growth with secular mother yeast. The veranda tells about all the processing steps in the organic garden, from composting and plowing to harvesting. Eating inside the trulli or in the air-conditioned veranda near the organic garden is definitely a unique experience.’
And I have to agree, it is a unique experience. As a happy owner of an allotment I think that the vegetable garden behind the Trattoria is a real bonus. I truly enjoyed that garden and all the flowers, herbs and vegetables that grow there. So whenever you are in Alberobello, Puglia, Italy, please stop by this charming Trattoria.
About the author: Mariëlle van de Kerkhof — happy urban gardner who loves to travel and eat great vegan food! www.mariellevandekerkhof.com
