SAMPLE THE ‘SASHIMI’ OF SOUTHERN ITALY

You don’t have to go as far as Japan to immerse yourself in a raw seafood culture. Across the Southern Italian region of Puglia, seafood and shellfish have been consumed straight from the sea for centuries, with little more than a squeeze of lemon added. Crudo (‘raw’) culture might sound like a new health food fad, but it has its origins in cucina povera — Southern Italy’s peasant cuisine, which focuses on simple ingredients. Ricci di mare (sea urchins) are the cuisine’s spiky emblem; plucked (with care) from rocky shores across Puglia, Calabria and Sicily, their umami-buttery insides ideally eaten instantly. But across Puglia you’ll also find octopus, cuttlefish, mussels, scallops, razor clams, oysters, squid, anchovies, red mullet, prawns, and lobster served just-caught at markets, stalls and simple restaurants.

GETTING STARTED: Bari is considered the crudo capital, its historic port and lungomare boardwalk the place to see catch landed then shuttled across the road to sea-view shacks. DON’T MISS: In the bay town of Polignano a Mare in Puglia, make for Antiche Mura (ristoranteantichemura.it), a cave-like restaurant serving a seasonal menu of raw food.

Fisherman host Janne Bark cooking mussels on the decked terrace of his Mussel Bar Above: Polignano a Mare, a town on Italy’s southern Adriatic coast Left: Foraging for seaweed on a kayak tour with Catxalot