Autumn colors on Parma’s tables

Autumn. The green, blue, and red of summer give way to softer colors and harmonious shades of orange, brown, pale yellow, black, and purple.
These colors transform nature and the landscape, but that’s not all—they also change on the tables of Parma locals (parmigiani). In autumn, local tables star products of excellence that echo the colors of the trees, parks, and woods.

Orange

Orange like… pumpkin, the key ingredient in one of the most famous dishes of Parma’s culinary tradition: tortelli di zucca (pumpkin tortelli). Pumpkins arrived in Europe from Central America. The birth of pumpkin tortelli dates back to the Renaissance, when it immediately earned a place of honor at the tables of noble courts. Soon after, pumpkin tortelli gained a more humble following, thanks to the accessible nature of the pumpkin itself and the common practice among working classes of wrapping leftover meals in sheets of pasta. Parma’s pumpkin tortelli—a dish with countless variations along the Po River—features a filling made of pumpkin, amaretto crumbs, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Thanks to its sweet and delicate flavor, pumpkin pairs beautifully with bolder, more intense flavors like mushrooms or rich cheeses across many other recipes, such as gnocchi, velvety soups, or pasta.

Brown

Brown like… mushrooms and chestnuts Before winter arrives, the woods come alive and grant us extraordinary products: chestnut trees fill with burrs, while the forest floor is dotted with prized fungi of various kinds, led by the porcini mushroom—the king of the woods.

Chestnuts have historically been considered “the bread of the poor.” A naturally growing fruit, the chestnut is well suited for long-term storage, whether dried or fresh, and is used—either as flour or whole—to prepare many highly nutritious dishes. Among these is castagnaccio, a traditional dessert from the province of Parma that comes in many local variations. Many other dishes are prepared using chestnut flour: tagliatelle, gnocchi, tortelli, and fritters. The sweet, delicate flavor of the chestnut pairs perfectly with another quintessential autumn product: the porcini mushroom. The sweet, delicate flavor of the chestnut pairs perfectly with another quintessential autumn product: the porcini mushroom. Whether fried, sautéed, grilled, or even raw, the mushroom is a product of exceptional quality with an unmistakable flavor and aroma, capable of perfectly enhancing pasta dishes, risottos, and creamy soups, as well as meat main courses.

Black

Black like… the Fragno Black Truffle, celebrated with a month-long Truffle Fair in Calestano, the home of this precious tuber.

The Fragno Black Truffle harvest takes place in the autumn with the help of specially trained dogs. Local truffle hunters know and guard the secrets of the forest patches richest in truffles, which, once dug up, are sold to local shops and restaurants It is in the dishes themselves that the truffle releases its unmistakable, pungent aroma and intense flavor, highlighted best when paired with fresh pasta, eggs, and red meat—a precious and unique product of the forest floor. A precious and unique product of the forest floor.

Yellow

The yellow of autumn is the pale, soft yellow of quinces. Quintessentially autumnal, quinces are fruits with a tart, not very sweet flavor, making them ill-suited for eating raw. This characteristic makes quinces the basis for many traditional dishes, as well as for a famous liqueur known as *sburlon*. A base di mele cotogne, lo sburlon è un liquore ideale come fine pasto, dal potente effetto digestivo, perfetto se si ha esagerato un po’ a tavola. In addition to sburlone liqueur, excellent jam—known as cotognata—is prepared with quinces in Parma, along with the essential mostarda that accompanies bollito misto, the king of Christmas tables.

The autumn culinary world of Parma is a world of colors and flavors waiting to be discovered; to do so, all you have to do is choose one of the restaurants of Parma City of Gastronomy.

Autumn in the Parma area is an invitation to enjoy authentic and intense flavors: a calendar full of events awaits you, from the delights of the woods to the iconic products of the Bassa Parmense lowlands, to delight every palate.