Parma, the second largest city in Emilia Romagna, is known for its ancient culinary tradition . Unesco has named it a creative city for gastronomy.
Parmesan and raw ham are two foods that have now become brands of Italian cuisine around the world and are produced in Parma and its province. In addition to cheeses and cured meats, the dishes to be tasted are rich typical ingredients, all respectful of tradition and the territory.
1 – Torta fritta or Gnocco Fritto
This is a very simple appetizer . The dough is made with white flour, extra virgin olive oil, lard, salt and water, and is fried .
It is usually served with cold cuts, such as the inevitable Parma ham, internationally known and dating back to Roman times, or culatello, or the salami obtained from the finest part of the pork leg.
- Recommended for : appetizer
- Average cost : €5.00
- Main ingredients : white flour, lard, extra virgin olive oil, salt, water and salami
2 – Anolini
Photo of Lex2. Consumed especially during the holidays, this pasta represents a very dear first course to the inhabitants of these lands, known since the Renaissance.
It is a type of stuffed egg pasta , they have a rather large circular shape, the serrated edge and the filling consisting of beef stew, Parmesan cheese, grated stale bread, egg yolk and spices. Usually they are served in broth , but in other cases it is possible to accompany them with butter and sage.
- Recommended for : first course for lunch or dinner
- Average cost : €12.00
- Main ingredients : egg pasta, Parmesan cheese, grated stale bread, egg yolk, garlic, onion, nutmeg, celery, salt, red wine
3 – Tagliolini with culatello
Photo of Albertomos. It is a traditional dish, a type of egg pasta served with culatello .
The culatello is first cut into strips, to be browned with butter and sage, and then cooked in broth.
The ready taglioni are seasoned, at the end, with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €15.00
- Main ingredients : egg pasta, culatello, butter, sage, salt, Parmigiano Reggiano, meat broth
4 – Tortel Dols di Colorno
Photo of Biebiadvertising. These are tortelli with sweet and sour filling , usually consumed in the lower Parma area and whose history dates back to the early nineteenth century. In fact, it is said that the Duchess Maria Luigia of Austria on some occasions used to offer the boatmen of Sacca (near Parma) tortel dols, precisely tortelli with a sweetish filling.
The filling is in fact based on cooked wine and mustard .
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €10.00
- Main ingredients : flour, butter, eggs, Parmigiano Reggiano, pears, apples, mustard, sugar, cooked wine
5 – Pumpkin tortelli
Photo by Luca Vanzella. Once again here is a stuffed egg pasta , this time with pumpkin . It is a delicate dish, in which pumpkin and obviously the Parmigiano Reggiano are the masters.
Tortelli are rectangular in shape and the topping is usually made of butter and sage or gravy.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €10.00
- Main ingredients : egg pasta, flour, salt, extra virgin olive oil, water, pumpkin, amaretti, Parmesan cheese
6 – Caval Pist
Among the traditional second courses there is this horse pesto. The dish consists of minced horse meat and served raw , simply flavored with garlic, oil and lemon. Another version is the cooked one, based on horse minced meat served with vegetables.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €14.50
- Main ingredients : horse meat, garlic, oil, lemon
7 – Rice bomb
It is a very rich and typical dish of the Apennine peasant tables. It is a dome-shaped rice timbale filled with meat .
The original recipe includes various types of meat, including that of pigeon, today increasingly difficult to find, and which has therefore been replaced with beef or sausage.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €9.50
- Main ingredients : rice, butter, oil, meat broth, baby pigeons, chicken livers, onions, carrot, sage, Parmigiano Reggiano, white wine
8 – Tripe alla parmigiana
A second dish with a high energy value and coming from the poor cuisine of Parma. The recipe calls for a sautéed onion in which to brown the tripe (obtained from three different bovine stomachs) well with tomato sauce, all over a low heat and with the addition of meat broth. Usually the dish is served with Parmesan cheese and toasted slices of bread.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €14.00
- Main ingredients : white onions, tomato sauce, extra virgin olive oil, meat broth, salt, pepper, tripe, parmesan
9 – Rosa di Parma
It is a second course that contains three key elements of the local cuisine : Parma ham, Lambrusco and Parmigiano Reggiano. The fillet of beef is cooked rolled with slices of Parma ham and flaked Parmesan cheese inside. In other variations there is veal.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €18.00
- Main ingredients : beef fillet, Parma ham, flaked Parmesan cheese, rosemary, extra virgin olive oil, Lambrusco, garlic, salt, pepper
10 – Sbrisolata
This is a typical dessert of Northern Italy, also called “three cups cakes”, since the mixture is made with flour (white and yellow) and sugar in equal parts. The recipe calls for strictly coarsely processed almonds. Often the cake is accompanied by grappa.
- Recommended for : snack
- Average cost : €6.00
- Main ingredients : yellow flour, white flour, almonds, sugar, butter, eggs, lemon zest
Where to eat in Parma: best restaurants, typical bars and street food
In Parma there are really numerous trattorias where you can stop and eat for a rich lunch, a light brunch or a dinner with typical dishes.
Some fill the streets of the center and are located near the cathedral, others are located in less touristy areas. From the refined place where you can taste the best Parmigiano Reggiano, to the small place that reworks traditional cuisine in the form of street food!
Here are the best places to eat in Parma :
1 – Trattoria Corrieri
- Description : restaurant in the center specializing in traditional cuisine
- Specialties : cold cuts, tortellini
- Average price : from € 28.00 per person
- Address : Strada Conservatorio – Get directions / tel: +39 0521234426 / Facebook page
2 – Sisters Picchi
- Description : historic place with delicatessen at the entrance
- Specialty : anolini in broth
- Average price : from € 30.00 per person
- Address : Strada Luigi Carlo Farini – Get directions / tel: +39 0521234426 / Website
3 – The Fork
- Description : restaurant near the cathedral, where tradition meets innovation
- Specialties : traditional cuisine and fish
- Average price : from € 35.00 per person
- Address : Borgo San Biagio – Get directions / tel: +39 0521208812 / Website
4 – Trattoria ai Due Platani
- Description : historic restaurant in a central position
- Specialty : pumpkin tortelli
- Average price : from € 28.00 per person
- Address : Strada Budellungo, Coloreto – Get directions / tel: +39 0521645626 / Facebook page
5 – Artist sandwich
- Description : restaurant specializing in reworking local cuisine in the form of street food
- Specialty : sandwiches and cutting boards
- Average price : from € 10.00 per person
- Address : Strada Luigi Carlo Farini – Get directions / tel: +39 05211856150 / Website
