The Parmesan-style kebab

The Parmesan-style kebab has arrived. "The idea of the sandwich was born to contrast the original kebab", says Walter Brindani, inventor of the sandwich and founder of “La Clinica del panino” (The sandwich clinic), a place opened in 1977 to become the home of Parmesan fast-food. Now present throughout Italy alongside pizzerias and delicatessens, the kebab presents itself as an alternative for those who want to eat something fast, without spending too much. Parma, proclaimed by UNESCO as a creative city for gastronomy, has decided to propose its own version of the typical Turkish sandwich.

So, in the streets where the pig has made history in the local culinary culture, it is offered the reinterpretation of the oriental dish, replacing pork with lamb.

The shoulder of pork is roasted and cut into strips. This is how the Parmesan-style kebab presents itself, on a carpet of raw or grilled vegetables, inside a toasted bread roll impregnated with sauces of your choosing.

However, the recipe was not created to fight foreign cuisine; it is important that there are more options, confirms Brindani. And it is precisely from this idea that the sandwich comes to life: the goal is to propose an alternative that refers to local cuisine, but without waging war on foreign cuisine. Remake a sandwich that does not belong to our culture, adapted to the tastes of Parmesans. In a few words, remake it Parmesan style.

But what do customers think of the Emilian kebab? "The taste is not absolutely equal to that of the traditional kebab - explains Lara, a customer of Walter - the flavour of the roast pork is unmistakable." And it is precisely on the meat that the restaurant focuses. "Pork is our symbol," says Walter, as he prepares the ingredients he needs to make his sandwiches. Those ingredients, which are also his speciality. "The Parmesan Kebab is not the typical sandwich from fast food. - explains Lara while tasting the dish - Eating it you can feel the care and detail in the composition of the sandwich, you feel the quality of local products. It's not food you just grab in a hurry. You really feel like sitting down and take your time eating it."

And how does a Turkish kebab maker feel about this new interpretation instead? "It depends on tastes," says Mutlu of “La Valle dell'Eden” (“East of Eden”). Each country cooks according to its own typical ingredients. For example, in Turkey the kebab is made with lamb, while in Italy veal and turkey are used more often, explains the restaurateur. So, if it is true that to fight racism and to know the world, we must taste the typical dishes, it is perhaps even more true that to begin the process of integration, we must start with integration in the kitchen. And the parmesan-style Kebab is this: the first step towards a world of mixed dishes.