The fried gnocco in Parma is the traditional dish that you cannot miss during a holiday in this area of Emilia. Not all places offer fried dumplings made as tradition dictates, we have found five perfect for a weekend or an unforgettable day with the typical flavors of Parma.
Lo fried dumpling, or as it is more commonly called in the province of Parma, fried pie, is one of the more traditional dishes Emilia, maintaining the same characteristics from city to city and only changing the name as soon as the provincial borders are crossed. If you are curious to taste this flat fairy tale, also find out what you can do in Parma in one day.
A recipe of incredible simplicity, like most of those that characterize the Emilian food and wine tradition, but which maximizes the quality of the raw materials and a few small tricks, to ensure that it becomes perfectly crunchy and dry. Flour, water, brewer's yeast and salt are kneaded, cut into squares or triangles and then fried in boiling oil, to be served with traditional Emilian cold cuts and cheeses.
A Parma there are many restaurants and trattorias that offer fried cake, but it is not always easy to leave satisfied, both for the quality of the dish and for the quantity. The Parmesan are truly satisfied with the experience, when the fried cake is dry, crunchy, but especially when the restaurateurs do not skimp on quantities! Here are the 5 best trattorias where to taste the fried cake in Parma and its province. In addition to these five places, discover also the 5 tips of Parma tractors not to be missed, besides the fried dumplings.
Trattoria Download in via Martinella in Alberi di Vigatto (Pr), managed since 1946 by the Scarica family who with care and attention always tries to keep traditions and simplicity first. Immediately after the war, Mr. Livio decided to open a restaurant, putting his wife Maria in the kitchen and proposing the fried cake accompanied by cold cuts as a main dish. Over the years the offer has expanded and today it is possible to taste all the main specialties of the Parma area, even if still today, Download probably remains the favorite place of all Parmesan people.
Trattoria del Grillo, also in via Martinella in Vigatto, is practically the twin of Download, separated only by a few kilometers. Il Grillo was born in 1960, offering few traditional Parmesan dishes, including fried cake. Over time it has expanded more and more, but it still remains the meeting point for dinners with friends, on warm summer evenings, to enjoy fried cake, cold cuts and cheeses, accompanied by the local Lambrusco.
Trattoria Milla, in via Maestri in Sala Baganza, also in this case it is a historic restaurant in the Parma area, where the cook Catia proposes the original recipes of mother Nives, grandmother Peppina and grandfather Sergio, also offering the opportunity to taste the excellent fried cake not only guests of the restaurant, but also at home, with home delivery. A truly unique service of its kind for a historic trattoria.
Moving further towards the hill, in Salsomaggiore Terme in the locality of Scipione Ponte, the horse restaurant it is also known as the official "Tortafritteria" of the country which offers different recipes: the rustic with the addition of mashed potatoes and eggs in the dough, the Cavallo made with the traditional family recipe, the crispy made with yellow flour, and dumplings stuffed with ricotta or gorgonzola. The temple of those who want to experiment with decidedly particular variations of the Emilian dish.
Finally in the Bassa, that is the land near the river Po, just outside Fontanellato is theCasalbarbato Osteria, in via Casalbarbato 16, where the fried cake is made with a different shape than the traditional square or triangle. In the village tavern the fried cake is served in thin and long strips on which you can roll the excellent Parma ham or Culatello di Zibello, or even Mortadella, Culaccia or Spalla Cotta. A real inn in the village and in transit, from which however it is really difficult to leave.
Last gastronomic tip is the one on Trattoria dei Corrieri, super known in the city and by locals. Are you thinking of taking a trip to Parma, but are you also intrigued by its surroundings? Find out what you can visit and what you can see in a itinerary between the castles of Parma and Piacenza.
