What to eat in Parma

Italy is well known for producing high-quality food and wine. Parma region is where you will find the best ingredients of Italian cuisine. If you want to explore the country’s culinary tradition, it is worth taking one of the many food and wine tours. The locals here, have mastered ham and cheese producing!

Parmesan cheese and parma ham were born here! Parma is also known for wine production and the process involved in balsamic vinegar. keep reading to find out more about these interesting and delicious products.

Parma Ham

Parma ham is a limited and protected product. If you are not familiar with the Italian language, Prosciutto pronunciation would be ‘Proshutto’. Parma ham is a unique process, with nothing more than pig meat, salt and 2,000 years of parmesan experience.

There is no such thing as a secret recipe behind this production, its only the Italian traditional meat breeding and a few hills around the city of Parma where the pork legs are cured and seasoned.

Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

Artisans figured out how to make this superlative cheese 800 years ago, and every generation since then has been wise enough not to tamper with perfection. There are only three ingredients: milk from cows raised in a designated area on local fodder, salt, and calf rennet (a natural bovine enzyme that helps curds form).

The milk must be very fresh, and once it’s formed into curds and shaped into wheels, it’s aged on wooden shelves. The result is a complex, fruity, nutty taste that completely transcends the bland saltiness of mass-produced, pre-grated parmesan cheese. Don’t pass up Parmigiano-Reggiano offered as a stand-alone appetizer, especially if it’s drizzled with barrel-aged balsamic vinegar from nearby Modena.

Lambrusco Wine tasting

Do not miss the opportunity to get in touch with the most famous sparkling red wine. Produced in the hills around the city of Parma, Lambrusco is something more than wine. It’s a liquid whose color is full of joy and happiness. Whose smell brings fresh red fruits.

Furthermore, Lambrusco is a brand acknowledged worldwide for the quality of the product. And it is the best-selling wine in Italy. That is why you can’t miss this tour if you are a wine lover.

Cultatello di Zibello

Less famous, unattractively preserved in shapeless lumps, and given an unalluring name that means “Little Ass,” Cultatello di Zibello is arguably a more delicious cured ham even than Parma ham. It hails from the nearby town of Zibello, where cold winters and thick fog rolling off the Po River are said to boost its sweetness and fragrance. Is it truly superior to its famous cousin? Why not order a little of both and decide for yourself?

Balsamic Vinegar Tasting

Have you ever tasted the original balsamic vinegar produced in Emilia Romagna? A little bottle with few centiliters of aged balsamic vinegar can cost more than a piece of gold. The reason why Aceto balsamico is so expensive relies on its production process. Vinegar masters in Modena and Reggio Emilia know that hurry is not allowed. Lambrusco red wine or Trebbiano white wine musts are the only necessary ingredients.

Something extra…

While in Parma, discover some interesting tours and the best attractions nearby and visit the region to get a better taste of your vocation. Read more about what to do in Parma.