Table of Contents
LOCAL PRODUCTS.
TASTE PARMA.
BEVERAGES
Wines of Emilia-Romagna. Italian Beer. Italian Spirits.
From Torino to Bologna, you would need to go out of your way to eat poorly. I can start at one end and eat my way across the country, and have.
Towards the middle of this culinary trail is Parma in the Emilia-Romagna region.
Some refer to it and neighboring towns as the Italian Food Valley.
UNESCO refers to Parma as the Gastronomic center of the “Food Valley.”
So maybe there is something here worth checking out.
Taste Parma
The cuisine of Parma tastes different than the food from nearby Modena. The diet of Lombardy tastes different from similar dishes in Tuscany.
Several things affect the outcome.
The country of Italy is younger than the United States. It has more conquers over the last 1500 years than most other countries. They all left a mark on the cuisine.
Regions closer to the sea are going to have more seafood in their recipes. In the mountains, expect more meat and dairy.
Honey, wine, even olive oil tastes like the area of origin. Honey from an area full of Alpine flowers will taste different than honey from a citrus growing region. We know wine grapes can have different flavors from opposite sides of a hill.
And not all olive oils taste the same. And that’s before you get into virgin versus plain.
Did you know that not every region in Italy uses olive oil? In Italy’s south, they have more olive trees, therefore more olive oil. In many areas of Northern Italy, away from the sea, you will find butter (dairy) in place of oil.
So can we agree that we should not apply the term “Italian” to food? Tuscan, Milanese, Neopolitan, or Parmasian but not Italian.
There is a LOT more to Italian cuisine, including it is not for nutrition, but it is part of Italian life, like breathing.
And there is the undisputed truth that Nonna’s (grandmother’s) recipe is the best, regardless of whose Nonna we are mentioning.
As you can see, talking about cuisine from Italy is not a simple discussion.
So, what are they doing in Parma to get on UNESCO’s radar?
With all recipes, it starts with the ingredients.
Ingredients
Emilia Romagna, the region Parma sits in, currently has 14 P.D.O. (Protected Designation of Origin) products, There are 13 P.G.I. (Protected Geographical Indication) products. Many of them, especially the meats, dates back to Roman times.
Taste Parma P.D.O. Products
Prosciutto di Parma – is an entirely natural food as it does not use additives or preservatives during the preparation of the meat. Salting and the Parma hills winds contribute to its sweet, yet delicate taste.
Culatello di Zibello – is ham from Parma but with a different taste. They raise and preserve the pork in the “low lands” along the Po River. Cold winters and hot summers produce a sweet and velvety flavor. Another difference is that they only use the leanest part of the thigh.
Parmigiano Reggiano – is a little confusing. From the first part of the name, it must be from Parma, right? But Reggiano comes from the town of Reggio Emilia 15 miles to the east. But they can make it in Modena. So, where does it originate? It depends on how close you are standing to Parma when you ask someone. You will get a different answer in Reggio.
In general, the authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano comes from the left side of the Reno river, except Mantova, which is on the Po river. More specifically, only the provinces of Parma, Reggio-Emilia, Modena, and Bologna can produce and label Parmigiano Reggiano. Try it in all four areas, but definitely in Parma.
What is Parmigiano-Reggiano? Milk, salt, which is a natural preservative and adds flavor, and rennet. If that’s all it is, why are there cheeses with different texture and flavors? Age. A young Parmigiano-Reggiano has a mild flavor. As it ages, it gets a crumbly texture and sharper taste.
Taste Parma P.G.I. Products
Fungo di Borgotaro (Porcino di Borgotaro) – is a variety of mushroom that grows in Emilia Romagna and Tuscany. There are four types, and all grow near chestnut trees. Depending on the fungus, they may also grow near beech, oak, or fir trees, all in damp, cold areas. The different mushrooms mature at other times, creating a harvest time stretching from May until the first snow.
Salame Felino – comes from the village of Felino, in the Baganza Valley. Using the local pork, it has a unique taste, partly due to the meat and pork ratio. It has a darker red color with lots of white specks.
Coppa di Parma – is a type of meat coming from the neck region of the pig. It goes through a very long seasoning period creating a lean, flavorful treat.
Special Mention
Tartufo Nero di Fragno (Black truffle of Fragno) – is one of 100 varieties of truffle. They usually find them near the roots of oak, walnut, birch, and beech trees. The harvesting season spans from late September to late February. As they keep for several months, there is rarely a time you do not find them in dishes.
Spalla Cotta di San Secondo – comes from the town of San Secondo, north of Parma. It was a favorite of the composer Verdi, whose hometown is only a few miles away. Coming from the shoulder of the pig, they salt and age it.
It is different because they simmer it in spice and Fortanina wine broth to tenderize it more. Usually, they serve it hot, in think slices with a piece of bread or fried dough. You can also find it cold and in thin slices.
Pasta – We can begin any number of wrist-flipping arguments by talking pasta. Where did it start? The Greeks brought it west on their exploration, but do not ever say that out loud in Italy. Who owns the spaghetti noodle, where is the first lasagna from, and on and on. There is no winner in any of these contests. However, Emilia-Romagna is one place for pasta. Due to the local wheat that they grow in abundance, the ingredients are fresh.
There is a LARGE pasta company that ships noodles worldwide from its home base in Parma. However, the pasta you will be eating is going to be fresh from earlier that day. The kinds of pasta to try in Parma include Tortelli and Anolini.
Honorable mention goes to types of pasta from other parts of Emilia Romagna, including Lasagna, Ravioli, Tortellini, and Tagliatelle.
Protecting These Products.
The Slow Food Foundation, which began in Italy, heads what they call the Presidia project. This project is to protect traditional food production or processing that is at the risk of extinction. It covers unique regions, ecosystems, native breeds, and local plant varieties.
This division is a subset of their global plan to safeguard traditional products that, due to globalization and modern production, risk disappearing or complete extinction.
Of their 500+ Presidia projects, there are currently 14 in Emilia – Romagna.
This alone is an important reason why you need to experience local foods and beverages.
That the Slow Food Foundation is focusing a spotlight on them means they are probably fantastic. So try something delicious and do something good at the same time by giving it support. It sounds like a win-win to me.
Other Parma Products
There are more than 200 traditional products on record in Italy.
Parma, with its semi-central location, pulls from the mountains, valleys, and plains. It reaps the products of dairies and farms.
Although you will not find lots of seafood on the menu in Parma, the Adriatic sea is 120 miles away. And the Ligurian Sea even closer.
Whether you are the chef of a Michelin restaurant, or more importantly, Nonna, you buy fresh almost daily.
Taste Parma
Before we dive any deeper, a few reminders.
MANY recipes in Italy are similar, and they all began in the town of ______. Fill in the name of the city you are currently standing in.
Theirs is the first, best, and no one else knows what they are doing.
The Parma cuisine section may seem small. Isn’t Parma a food capital? It is, but I am trying to keep listings as close to (if possible) their potential place of origin.
You can get lasagna and Bologna in Parma, but they possibly belong a little more to Bologna. (There is an angry mob of Parma Nonna’s sharpening knives and googling my address for that comment.)
This list is not complete, nor the ultimate list of Parma foods. It is a list to help you immerse yourself in the location a little deeper and more traditionally.
So if you want to eat and drink like the locals in Parma, what should you be enjoying?
ANTIPASTO
In Parma, these can easily make up all courses of a meal, I know by trial.
Officially, the antipasto (before the first dish) is only supposed to tease or enhance the appetite.
Always share as I have yet to find what they call a small portion that does not easily feed a football team.
Cold Cuts
In Italy, that term takes on a whole new meaning.
This is not your bologna that has a first name. This is Prosciutto di Parma, Culatello di Zibello, Salame Felino, and Coppa di Parma.
Many places will have some sort of assortment tray or board with these. It may include the warm Spalla Cotta on the side.
Parmigiano Reggiano – Do I need to mention this? It seems pretty evident in Parma, with Parma Ham…
Torta Fritta – Usually, you do not order this; it just arrives with the meat platter. Torta (Cake or dough) Fritta (fried) is usually puffy pieces of fried dough. I like to break them apart and make little open-faced ham and cheese sandwiches.
Misto – is not a type of food; it’s Italian for mixed. A Fritto Misto is a mix of local foods, meats, vegetables, seafood if you are near the sea, that they lightly fry. Think Tempura Italian style.
Cicciolata – is usually in little cubes or small thin slices. It is a boiled cold cut with a pleasant soft taste and some seasoning. This cold cut is one of those foods the less you ask about, the better.
PRIMI
Primi is the first course. The 40 pounds of ham and salami you have been eating doesn’t count.
This course can be a soup, a larger size antipasto, or, as is the case in Parma, a pasta. This course, quite often, is a sensible size portion.
Anolini in Brood – Once just for holidays, you can find it most of the year or at least in colder months. Anolini is small egg-pasta pockets with Parmigiano, bread crumbs, and maybe minced beef. They are floating in hot meat broth.
Tortelli – are tiny tortellini. Little semi-circular (or square, or rectangular), pillows that have cheese, and maybe a vegetable filling. Pumpkin and potato are popular. They seem to save meat fillings for larger pasta. Usually, there is butter or butter-cheese sauce.
Tortelli di Erbetta – is the tiny kinds of pasta with a filling of only ricotta cheese and herbs.
Tagliatelle and Mushrooms – is local fresh pasta and local fresh mushrooms. That’s a formidable combination to beat.
Borgotaro Malfatti – is a Parma gnocchi with ricotta cheese and herbs. You may occasionally find spinach.
SECONDI
Think of this as the entree course. Most of the time, this feels like the third or fourth entree.
Bollito Misto – is a mixture of boiled beef and chicken from the brood (broth). Just like the broth, they serve the tender meat with anolini.
Stracotto – is the Italian version of pot roast with local vegetables, especially the mushrooms. Quite often, this appears on the Primi section of the menu.
Punta al Forno – is calf meat they stuff with bread crumbs, eggs, and Parmigiano cheese mixture.
Parma Picaja – is a veal roast they stuff with bread crumbs, local cheese, and bits of salami. You may also find this under the Primi section.
La Vecchia – dates back several centuries. It is horse meat that they slowly simmer in potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers.
SAUCES
Mostarda di Frutta – is a mustard sauce with candied fruit bits. It is a cross between a mustard and a syrup and packs some punch. I am not sure this is a Parma original, but I found it here in several places.
DULCE
Tortelli Dolci – is a tasty Tortelli. Instead of pasta, it is a cookie with jam filling in the shape of a Tortelli pasta. Either with or without powdered sugar on top, you find this at bakeries, not restaurants.
Sant’Ilario Shoe Cookies – are a sugar butter cookie in the shape of a shoe. They have yellow (gold) frosting and sugar on top. You can usually find them January through February.
Duchess Cake – is one of the few “royal” dishes you may still find. Similar to Austrian pastries, it is thin layers of hazelnut cake with layers of vanilla custard, zabaione (egg custard), and chocolate ganache.
Zuppa Inglese – is not exclusive to Parma, it may be from Ferrara, but you can find it across Emilia Romagna. Soup of the English may be an Italian version of English Trifle. Possibly by a Duke’s chef for visiting English nobility. Using sponge cake or ladyfingers, they drizzle Alchermes, a bright red, herbal liqueur, over the cake. Then they alternate the cake with layers of thick lemon egg custard and layers of chocolate cream. Then a topping of cream or meringue.
Special Mention
As happens in many places, the dishes of the very rich, over time, mingle with those of the poor to create today’s menu.
With so many Dukes and Duchesses, I was curious about what recipes stem from them. It turns out, not many in Parma. Or at least not in restaurants.
I suspect many local chefs did not condone the recipes as they were not 100% Parma, or even Italian. Those Bourbons would import chefs from France.
- Minestra alla Duchessa Farnese – is (was) a cream of rice soup with chicken dumplings and bits of asparagus.
- Uova alla Farnese – are tortellini pasta with a filling of onion, chicken liver, and local mushrooms. They cover it with Bernese sauce. (Strike.)
- Salmone alla Ranuccio – is salmon they would poach and top with caper sauce, oysters, and mushrooms. Seafood and poaching in Parma? (Strike.)
Of all the nobles, Maria Luigia (Austrian) seems to be the only one with staying power, at least for recipes bearing her name.
Taste Parma Beverages
BEER
SPIRITS
In Italy, there is a course they serve after dessert, coffee. And it usually has a small glass of liqueur alongside. 90% of the time, it appears this is a homemade concoction to assist in your digestion. Who are we to be rude and not accept their hospitality?
Bergnolino (or Bargnolino)
They infuse the alcohol with blackthorn berries giving it a dark color. To this, they add lemon, sugar, and a dash of cinnamon and cloves. You can find this just about anywhere in Emilia Romagna.
Nocino
They infuse pure alcohol with unripe nuts and cloves. No one seems to want to tell me for how long, but as the nutty taste is present, it’s for longer than overnight. The result is a liqueur dark in color and slightly sour.
Liqueur of Maria Luisa
Lemon verbena (Aloisia Citrodora) gets its Latin name from Maria Luisa, the youngest daughter of Philip, Duke of Parma. They infuse the alcohol with the verbena giving it a lite lemon flavor and scent. Some add mint, and others a splash of soda.
Wine
The Emilia Romagna wine region is between Tuscany, Piedmont Lombardy, and the Veneto.
With that competition, they better be good. And the wines are.
But they require a whole page. Read about Emilia Romagna Wine.
Taste Parma Summary
If you still do not believe me when I say Parma is a culinary destination, 24-hours here will change that.
With fresh ingredients, slow cooking, and Nonna’s recipes in the kitchen, how can you fo wrong?
And there is a great wine to go with your meal.
That’s if you have any room left after the ham and cheese.
If you are coming to Parma, you better have an appetite.
If eating is not enough, there are museums to pasta, cheese, ham, salame, and tomatoes, to name a few.
There are more than 140 dairies you can visit and learn about Parmesan cheese-making.
And there are cooking classes. They range from 2-4 hour evening classes at the Academia Barillo (the pasta company) for an introduction.
Or for the serious chef, the ALMA, La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana, has summer and complete culinary programs. They take place in the Venaria Reale Castle in Colorno, 25-minutes north of Parma.
Immerse yourself in the tastes of Parma.
Click the orange link to read more about Italian cuisine.