Telling the story of Apulia: this is the challenge that the Mercatino del Gusto takes up, committing itself to letting participants experience all the facets of a generous region, characterised by extraordinary biodiversity and criss-crossed by different cultures, each with its own richness, identity and flavours. The Mercatino del Gusto is not just about food but also culture. It is a true experience of the senses involving food lovers and connoisseurs, the curious and tourists from all over the world. In August, thousands of tourists choose the Salento and its scenic, cultural and architectural beauties not to miss the opportunity to participate in this veritable gathering of taste. Visitors to the Mercatino del Gusto have the chance to take a trip from the north to the south of the region, strolling among the 100 or so stalls set up in the historic centre of Maglie, meeting the exhibitors, talking to them and, above all, tasting the excellent food and wine products. The producers present are the best interpreters of tradition, have been able to recover ancient flavours and operate looking to the future, always attentive to environmental and social sustainability and new consumption styles. The Mercatino del Gusto represents an observatory on Apulia’s food and wine culture, is a witness to the sector’s growth and development, and stands out from the numerous summer initiatives for its focus on content and messages to be promoted.
It is no coincidence that, after the theme of ‘la Cura’ (the Cure) addressed in the 2015 edition, ‘la Gioia‘ (the Joy) came along. The joy of living, travelling, participating, including, tasting, seeing, playing, eating and drinking, snooping, searching, working, dancing and singing. In 2017, on the occasion of its 18th year, the leitmotif of the Mercatino was ‘Beauty‘, of memory and optimism, of visionary, yet pragmatic and inclusive planning. Beauty, therefore, in the most strategic and contemporary sense of its value, its meaning, intertwined with everyday life and the real lives of people. For the 19th edition, the leitmotif will be the theme of ‘The Barter’ of ideas and all-round experience, under the banner of multidisciplinarity and the hybridisation of knowledge. Bartering, understood first and foremost as ‘exchange’, suggests that ‘the other’ probably possesses something that we do not have: an experience, an idea, a method, a vision, know-how and design, food, a story, a technique and, why not, new languages to tell about a territory and its beauties. Every year, from 1 to 5 August, the most eagerly awaited event of the summer in Salento opens with the Mercatino del Gusto Award, which enhances cultural promotion, sustainable and innovative design in every sector.
Each year, the Scientific Committee assigns an award to professionals, men of culture and the land, journalists, restaurateurs, producers, chefs, artisans, writers, entrepreneurs who have particularly distinguished themselves in enhancing the regional territory, communicating their work and ‘our’ beauty in an innovative way.

The Taste Market is enriched and embellished by workshops and meetings on agrifood topics, book presentations, guided tastings and live music, cocktails and DJ sets, appointments dedicated to children and dance performances.

Salvatore Santese

President of the Mercatino del Gusto Association

Michele Bruno

Mercatino creator

Giacomo Mojoli

Journalist – Ideas Designer