From 4 to 6 September, the traditional Parma Ham Festival returns to Langhirano (Pr)

From 4 to 6 September, the Parma Ham Festival, the traditional event that celebrates one of the most representative symbols of Italy’s gastronomic heritage every year.

The event, now in its 29th edition, will once again be an unmissable opportunity to discover Parma Ham up close, the people who work with passion and dedication every day to produce this outstanding product, and the unique area with which it is inextricably linked.

The programme for the first day

The event will officially open on Friday 4 September at 18:30, with the opening ceremony hosted by the Festival’s presenter and patron Francesca Romana Barberini, a radio and television presenter, food writer and food and wine communicator. Following institutional greetings from the organisers and authorities, the evening will continue with the participation of two exceptional guests: chef Andrea Mainardi and athlete Fausto Desalu. On the Festival stage, Italy’s most rock ’n’ roll chef and the sprint champion, a gold medallist at the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 and bronze medallist at the latest European Athletics Championships, will be the stars of “Ready, Steady, Cook!”, an entertaining cooking show combining cuisine, spectacle and entertainment.

An experiential weekend

The rich programme of events will continue on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September. Following the great success of last year’s edition, the Parma Ham Experience will return: a space hosting talks, cooking shows and demonstrations, where visitors can enjoy a truly immersive experience of the product through a tasting journey featuring three different maturation periods of Parma Ham, plus a fourth variety obtained by hand slicing, accompanied by wines, beers and other gastronomic specialities.

The other events

Numerous events will take place in this space. On Saturday afternoon, at 17:30, geographical indications will be discussed with the presentation of the book “The Philosophy of the PDO Economy” by the director of the Qualivita Foundation Mauro Rosati. The event, moderated by journalist Federico Casanova, will be attended by the author, Emilia-Romagna’s regional councillor for agriculture and agri-food Alessio Mammi, and Paolo Tanara, Parma Ham producer and member of the Consortium’s board. On Sunday at 18:30 it will instead be time for “At the Festival with Luca Pappagallo”, which will bring the much-loved cook behind the Festival’s stoves to entertain the audience with flavour and good humour.

Open Windows

As always, the highlight of the event will be Open Windows. This initiative, which grows more popular with visitors every year, offers the chance to discover the production process and taste Parma Ham directly at the ham factories. Exceptionally, the producers themselves will act as guides, explaining and showing how tradition and passion combine with the unique characteristics of this generous area to create PDO Parma Ham. Open Windows is an unmissable opportunity to introduce the general public to the ancient traditions and expertise concealed behind Parma Ham.

“For Parma Ham, the area is an essential and irreplaceable component. The microclimate of our hills, together with the knowledge passed down from generation to generation, gives life to a unique and unrepeatable product of which we are deeply proud,” comments Alessandro Utini, President of the Parma Ham Consortium. “In almost thirty years, the Festival has established itself as a landmark event, capable of attracting an ever-growing audience, including an international one, eager to enjoy an authentic experience discovering the product, its area and the people who make it possible. In this context, Open Windows is confirmed as one of the most popular initiatives, demonstrating the growing interest in tourism that combines food with the promotion of the area. We are particularly pleased that these food and wine tourism activities are now recognised among the functions of protection consortia by the new European regulation on geographical indications.”

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.