The king of Parma meets the “golden apple”
PDO Parma ham is one of the best known products from Italy. It is produced exclusively with legs from heavy pigs which are bred within a delimited zone of the Emilia Region, close to Parma. Their diet is also strictly regulated. The pigs feed mainly on locally produced cereals. The ingredients used to produce PDO Parma ham are three in number: pig meat, salt and humidity from the Pianura Padana Valley. No preservatives are used because the salt and maturation time (about 12 months!) suffice to kill every possible noxious bacterium (see photo 1). Despite the economical benefits that a product such as PDO Parma ham brings to the region and country, new issues and challenges are arising. organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) suggest to decrease the consumption of meat in general? How can the value chain succeed inin being sustainable if the raw material comes from an important number of animals polluting the environment? Could a possible solution be to decrease the production, thereby increasing its value? Let us know what do you think!
Parma ham is appreciated with another symbol of Italian cuisine: the tomato. When first introduced to Europe, Tomatoes were not deemed edible and served primarily as ornamental plants. They arrived in Emilia Romagna in the second half of the nineteenth century thanks to the innovative agronomist Carlo Rognoni, who propagated their cultivation, taking credit for their dissemination among farmers. A wide array ofgenetic varieties exist (see photo 2 below) and during the 20th century, the main goal was to conserve tomatoes for year-round consumption. Cans were the the ideal solution the quality of the fruit. If you want to discover more about this magic fruit, visit the museum in Collecchio (Parma) recently visited by cohort #7.. You will find all the information you need on the following website: http://www.museidelcibo.com
But be careful when buying tomatoes my friends: do you know exactly where they come from and how they have been harvested? “We would like for consumers to know that the tomatoes they're buying are based on the exploitation of farm workers”: This is a quotation from a video of Food Tank: The Food Think Tank. If you want to learn more, take a look at the following video: https://vimeo.com/15530967 and share your opinions with us.
