The city is the birthplace of Italy's most famous products abroad
If Italian gastronomy is celebrated all over the world, part of this is due to a city of almost 200 inhabitants located in the Emilia-Romagna region, in the north of the country.
Parma, the capital of the province of the same name, is the birthplace of the most famous “made in Italy” cheese and ham abroad, but it also offers an extensive menu of other culinary delights that have helped the city become one of the favorite destinations among lovers of good food in Italy.
This rich gastronomic tradition will be at the center of attention in 2020, the year in which Parma exercises its mandate as “Italian capital of culture”, a title granted annually by the government to celebrate municipalities that represent the best of Italianity.
The city is expected to host more than 400 events throughout the year, including exhibitions, theatrical performances, and musical shows, but many of them will serve to celebrate the local cuisine. After all, food is also culture.
“We are collaborating with the city council on a series of initiatives in the city”, says, in an interview with ANSA, the person responsible for marketing at the Parma Ham Consortium, Claudio Leporati. The two main events for the most famous sausage in the country will be the Cibus culinary fair, between May 11th and 14th, and Gastronomic September, which involve all actors in the local agri-food sector.
“We also want to promote the values of our city and our product in a series of events,” he adds. In addition to Parma ham, the city is also known worldwide for its Parmigiano Reggiano cheese – Parmesan – and both have a protected designation of origin, meaning they can only receive these names if they are produced in a certain region.
Other protected products are coppa from Parma, salami from Felino, culatello from Zibello (three pork sausages), mushrooms from Borgotaro and Colli di Parma wines. Pasta, as expected, is also a deep-rooted tradition in the city, such as “tortelli di erbette”, whose filling contains a type of chard, ricotta, butter, egg, nutmeg and, of course, parmigiano reggiano.
“This year, restaurants in Parma will promote local gastronomy, which has its trademarks in ham and parmigiano reggiano”, says Gerardo Landulfo, delegate of the Accademia della Cucina Italiana, in an interview with ANSA.
Landulfo studied and lived in the city for a year and does not hide his joy in talking about its cuisine. “Look, talking about Parma is very special to me,” he says. He cites as examples of Parmese cuisine the Felino salami, made in a small town on the outskirts of Parma, and the Zibello culatello, a sausage more delicate than the local ham.
And for lovers of a good steak parmigiana, it's good to remember that the recipe, despite the name, has nothing to do with Parma. Not even eggplant parmigiana, a popular dish in Italy, comes from the Emilian city. “There is a dispute between Sicily and Napoli”, says Landulfo.
Unique products
But why, in a country that produces so many cheeses and sausages, did one city manage to stand out compared to the others on the international scene? For Leporati, from the Parma Ham Consortium, this recognition is a merit of the quality of the ingredients and the work of the local agri-food sector.
“Our company encouraged the market by taking Parma ham all over the world. And the strength of the brand over time has made our product the best-known sausage product in the world,” he explains.
The success of ham, in a way, is related to that of parmigiano reggiano. A few years ago, when health regulations permitted, dairies in the region also raised pigs and used part of the cheese waste as animal feed.
“They value the product made there. It's not just for the outside. Nobody can produce a parmigiano reggiano in Sicily. Can anyone make Serra da Canastra cheese in the mountains of Rio Grande do Sul? You can make a cheese that’s just as good, but you have to give it your name”, concludes Landulfo.
