The Orecchiette Street, Bari

In the old town of Bari a short lane runs between high walls, and along it women work at tables set outside their doors, pressing small rounds of semolina dough against the board with a knife and turning them over a thumb into the ear shape the pasta is named for. They do it fast, all morning, and sell what they make in bags from the same table. The practice began as domestic rather than commercial: this is how pasta was made for the household, done on the street because the houses behind are small and dark. It has become the most photographed thing in the city.

What you actually see

• The technique - dragged with a knife, turned over the thumb, done in a second.
• The drying trays - fresh orecchiette laid out across the tables in the sun.
• Bari Vecchia - the walled old town the lane cuts through.
• The morning shift - the work is done early and the tables clear by afternoon.

When to go

Mornings, any day but Sunday; the tables go up early and pack away by early afternoon. Winter mornings are quiet and the lane is at its most ordinary, which is when it is best. Summer brings coach groups down a lane wide enough for two people. Take small notes and coins, since nobody takes cards.

Honest expectations

The lane is very short and the visit takes ten minutes. Pasta bought here is unlabelled and undated and is not made in a commercial kitchen, which matters if you plan to carry it home. Photographing people at work without asking has become a friction point, and some now expect a purchase in return for the picture.

Nearby

The basilica of San Nicola is a few streets away; the seafront is behind it.