Burrata and beyond: a foodie tour of northern Puglia, Italy

Barletta-Andria-Trani, in southern Italy’s Puglia region, is celebrated as the birthplace of popular cheeses and ingredients beyond mozzarella. The province’s burrata connection traces to Andria, where farmer Lorenzo Bianchino—snowed in and unable to deliver milk to market about a century ago—revived a preservation technique using burro and stuffing cream with mozzarella scraps, or stracciatella, into stretched-curd cheese. Today, Andria has multiple burrata makers, including Caseificio Olanda, offering demos, tastings and a museum. The story follows Riccardo “Dino” Olanda’s process: hot water added to curds, stretch and massage until shiny, then shaping into mozzarella balls and filling with cream and stracciatella. The tour also highlights local meals and towns like Barletta and Trani.