Sagra ta Scurdijata

A festival that tells the story of Salento's rural heritage

In the heart of lower Salento, in Casarano (Province of Lecce, Puglia), the Sagra ta Scurdijata has been one of the most cherished late-summer events for over twenty years. The festival is dedicated to a dish that is much more than a recipe: the scurdijata, a symbol of the humble, authentic cooking of Salento's farmers.

What is scurdijata?

The scurdijata is one of the most modest yet authentic dishes in the Salento tradition. It originated in the countryside of Casarano as a hearty, low-cost meal that provided energy to laborers at dawn before long days in the fields. It is prepared with simple, zero-mile ingredients: stale bread, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, black pepper, boiled vegetables (turnip tops, chicory, cabbage), and legumes, all sautéed in olive oil with garlic. It is a dish that speaks of hardship, the land, the dawn, and the sweat of those who lived off their own labor.

Flavors, music, and tradition

The festival takes place in the Pietra Bianca district, along Via Spagna, just outside the town center. Alongside the food stalls where you can sample scurdijata and other typical Salento dishes, the evenings are enlivened by live music, particularly the rhythms of Salento's folk music, with bands bringing the most authentic atmospheres of the local musical tradition back to the stage.

• Tastings of scurdijata and typical Salento peasant dishes
• Live music evenings featuring pizzica and folk ensembles
• Convivial, family-friendly atmosphere typical of village festivals

An event that preserves local values

More than just a food festival, the Sagra ta Scurdijata was born from a desire to recover and preserve the most authentic dish of Salento's culinary tradition, passing the flavors and values of rural culture on to new generations. It is the perfect opportunity for those visiting Salento at the end of summer to experience a genuine piece of Apulian identity, far from the crowded tourist circuits of the coast.