The Cooking of Parma

Book excerpt: The province of Parma makes up the western half of Emilia-Romagna, the only region Italians from other places concede has food as good as their own. With its sophisticated city cuisine and the simpler, heartier fare from Val Taro in the heart of the Apennines, Parma offers a deep and varied cooking style. World famous for two glorious products - prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese - Parma also boasts rice and corn which are turned into endless dishes of risotto and polenta; wild mushrooms, celebrated both fresh and dried; a rich bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables; and superior meats, poultry, game, and freshwater fish. The area is known for countless culinary achievements such as its delicate filled pastas; savory vegetable tortas; unique minestre, which in Parma are nearly as thick as stews; and bollito misto, the renowned boiled dinner and its traditional condiments that can be traced back to the Etruscans.