That included between the Provinces of Parma and Piacenza is a territory which Italy's wine and food tradition and agricultural-food sector are proud of. A territory where the traditional food productions combined with pleasant environments and landscapes.
The presence of many Protected Natural Areas in this "food valley" contributes to make the symbiotic connection between products and their territory even stronger. It is a journey "through nature" in the Western Emilia's Parks, and a journey "through the tastes" of the best Italian food tradition. Such beautiful places could not but result in unique and intense tastes. The connection between nature and products is the result of a thousand-year-old history that made the main features of the present landscape develop and led to the production of genuine food having unmistakable tastes.
So what is "beautiful to see" becomes what is "good to eat".A territory where the natural treasures and the know-how have created unique and inimitable agricultural-food products that are well-known and appreciated in Italy and all over the world, and that are the proud holders of European Quality Labels such as
PDO and
PGI and Italian labels (
DOC, DOCG, IGT, PAT, …).
In the Park there are also many certified
Organic Aglriculture products: thanks to the compliance with the Production Regulation prohibiting the use of GMOs and limiting the use of pesticides, chemical fertilizing products and antibiotics, such products contribute to safeguard both nature and biodiversity.
In addition to some famous PDO products (Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP, Prosciutto di Parma, Grana Padano, Coppa Piacentina, …) also some PGI products have become famous as well (Coppa di Parma,
Salame Felino).
The wine tradition too is rich in typical DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) labelled products (
Gutturnio, Ortrugo, Colli Piacentini, Colli di Parma) and IGT (Geographical Indication of Origin) labelled products (
Fortana del Taro, Terre di Veleja, Val Tidone), whose production marks the mild hill landscape of wide areas, in the Parks as well.
The traditional wine and food production characterize Emilia's gastronomy, which is simple and genuine, based both on "great" products and many other genuine ingredients of these lands (mixed berries, wild herbs, potatoes, mushrooms, chestnuts, game).
Not only products with Quality Labels but also less famous ones which represent fundamental elements for the conservation of the historical-cultural testimonies and of genetic biodiversity.
An example of these local productions is the breeding of the
Pecora Cornigliese from the upper Appennino Parmense. It was obtained in the 1700s by the Borbonis, by crossing local sheep breeds and the Spanish Merinos breed. In the early 1900s, by crossing the local breed with rams from Bergamo's territory, the breed was improved.
