Healthy genuineness is an indisputable quality of the cuisine of Matera and the town has always offered visitors the dishes of the ancient farming tradition, with something good and wholesome for every season. One could define this cuisine as being based on the art of simplicity. It is full of strong flavours like black pepper and red chillies and is best enjoyed with a condiment which is sometimes hard to find elsewhere: true hospitality.

Simplicity and healthiness at the table

The Bread of Matera is particularly famous and acclaimed. Made from a blend of durum whole-wheat flours and kneaded according to an ancient method practiced in the 16th century it is cooked in wood-fired ovens where it takes on its typical flavour and characteristic horned shape, and it stays fresh for fragrant for several days after cooking. The Bread of Matera is now protected by the IGP certification awarded to it by the European Community.

An ideal accompaniment for this bread is the extra-virgin olive oil produced in the countryside near Matera, which is the pride of local agriculture.

Also typical of this rural culture are the many fresh cheeses such as mozzarella, burrata and ricotta and seasoned cheeses such as caciocavallo and pecorino.

Legumes - Legumes, the famous "meat of the poor" are much used in the local culinary tradition. Chickpeas, beans, chickling vetch and broad-beans, are prepared in various different ways, on their own, in soup or with pasta.

Pasta - It may well be true that pasta originally came from Basilicata. Cavatelli is typical of Matera and it is enjoyed with tomatoes, rocket and cheese, mushrooms or meat-based sauces.

Meat – One of the most famous meat dishes is the “cutturidd”, which consists of mutton or lamb cooked for several hours in a terracotta pot with vegetables and seasonings.

Sweets - The sweets of the local tradition have characteristic names like strazzate, schiumette, and friselle. They are best accompanied by a glass of the local rosolio (a sweet liqueur made of rose petals).

Wines – Since 2005 there have been six wines of Matera proudly bearing the prestigious designation of Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC). Three of them are red: Matera Rosso, Matera Primitivo and Matera Moro and three are white: Matera Greco, Matera Bianco and Matera Spumante. The last of these is fermented naturally in the bottle, a method which is unique in Southern Italy.