Culatello di Zibello is one of them. Born in the lowlands around Parma, in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, this prized cured meat is closely tied to the landscape, the local climate and centuries of traditional craftsmanship. Yet in September 2026, one of Parma's most recognisable foods became part of an unexpected culinary experiment involving chefs from South Korea.
The meeting brought together cooks from Parma and Chuncheon, a South Korean city that has developed a growing relationship with Parma through its sister-city partnership. Instead of simply presenting their own dishes, chefs from the two places worked together, combining ingredients and techniques from both culinary traditions.
The result was a fascinating example of how traditional food can travel across borders without losing the story of where it came from.
A Traditional Italian Product Takes a New Direction
Culatello di Zibello is not an ordinary cured meat. Its production is strongly connected to a very specific area of the Parma province.
According to the Culatello di Zibello Protection Consortium, authentic Culatello di Zibello PDO is produced in a defined group of municipalities in the Parma area, including Zibello, Busseto, Polesine, Soragna, Roccabianca, San Secondo, Sissa and Colorno.
Its character comes from more than the pork itself. The local environment is an important part of the story. The humid conditions of the Parma lowlands, together with traditional processing and long maturation, help create the distinctive qualities associated with Culatello.
The production process is also remarkably hands-on. The selected part of the pork leg is boned and prepared before being salted and massaged. It is then placed into a natural casing and left to mature.
That patience is central to the product. Culatello cannot simply be rushed into existence. Its identity has been built over generations through a combination of place, experience and time.
And that is precisely what makes the recent meeting with Korean chefs so interesting. The idea was not to change Culatello into something else. It was to ask what could happen when a very traditional Italian ingredient met a different culinary imagination.
Parma and Chuncheon Meet Around the Dinner Table
The culinary exchange formed part of a wider relationship between Parma and Chuncheon.
In September, a Chuncheon delegation travelled to Parma for the city's Settembre Gastronomico, or Gastronomic September, an event dedicated to food, culture and international exchange. The programme included presentations of Korean food and culture as well as collaboration between chefs from the two cities. The visit was not limited to food. Representatives from the two cities also discussed cooperation in education, tourism and cultural activities. Plans included continuing exchanges involving culinary education and students, while further international projects were discussed for 2027. This wider context matters because the food collaboration was not simply a publicity stunt or a one-night fusion dinner. It was part of a developing relationship. Food happened to provide one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways for people from two very different countries to begin understanding each other.
What Happened When Italian and Korean Chefs Started Cooking Together?
The most memorable part of the Parma meeting was the shared cooking.
Rai News reported that Parma Quality Restaurants president and chef Enrico Bergonzi worked with a group of Korean chefs during the visit. The dinner included alternating dishes and ideas from both culinary traditions.
One particularly interesting example was a Korean-inspired chicken dish adapted for the Italian setting. The preparation included herbs and spices and was finished with a generous amount of Parmigiano Reggiano. It sounds simple, but it represents something important. Instead of trying to make Korean food “Italian” or Italian food “Korean,” the chefs were exploring what each side could contribute.
That is often where the best fusion cooking begins. The goal is not to put as many foreign ingredients as possible on one plate. It is to understand the character of each ingredient and find a natural meeting point. Culatello offers richness, saltiness and a deep cured flavour. Korean cuisine has its own powerful vocabulary of spice, fermentation, savouriness and texture. Used thoughtfully, those characteristics can complement rather than compete with one another.
Korean Chefs Discover Parma's Food Heritage
The exchange also worked in the opposite direction. The Korean delegation had the opportunity to taste some of Parma's best-known foods, including Culatello, Prosciutto di Parma and handmade tortelli. Some of the visitors even tried making traditional pasta themselves.
Hyun Juntae, vice mayor of Chuncheon, said he particularly appreciated the Culatello and Prosciutto, as well as the handmade tortelli that the visitors had the chance to prepare. This hands-on experience is arguably more meaningful than simply eating at a restaurant. Making pasta, learning how a cured meat is produced, or watching a local chef prepare a traditional dish gives visitors a connection with the food that cannot be gained from a menu description alone. It also helps explain why Parma's food culture has such a strong identity. Behind every famous product is a network of farmers, producers, cooks,s and families who have kept these traditions alive.
Why Italian and Korean Food May Have More in Common Than Expected
At first, Italy and South Korea might appear to have very little in common when it comes to food. One is famous for pasta, cheese, cured meats, ts and olive oil. The other is associated internationally with kimchi, fermented foods, rice, noodles, grilled meats, and spicy dishes. But the similarities become clearer when you look beyond individual dishes. Both cultures place enormous importance on food as part of social life. Meals are shared, discussed,d and connected to family and regional identity.
Both also have strong traditions of preservation. Italian cuisine has long relied on curing, drying, fermenting, and aging to preserve food. Korean cuisine has developed an equally rich culture of fermentation and preservation. The ingredients and techniques are different, but the underlying idea is familiar: good food can take time.
Alberto Mondi, an Italian television personality well known in South Korea, made a similar observation during the Parma event, noting that the two culinary cultures have more similarities than people might initially expect.
That common ground may explain why Italian cuisine has found such an enthusiastic audience in Korea and why Korean food is increasingly appreciated internationally.
Culatello Is Growing Beyond Its Traditional Market
The timing of this international collaboration is also interesting because Culatello di Zibello is experiencing growth.
According to figures released by its protection consortium, 82,570 Culatelli were sealed in 2025, representing a 12 percent increase over the previous year. Consumer turnover reached approximately €24 million. Pre-sliced Culatello is becoming particularly important. More than 34,000 pieces were allocated to pre-sliced production in 2025, accounting for around 41.5 percent of the total volume. In the first half of 2026, the number of retail trays placed on the market reached 527,457, an 8.2 percent increase compared with the same period in 2025. These figures reveal an important point. Traditional products can grow without abandoning their heritage. Innovation does not necessarily mean changing how Culatello is made. Sometimes it means making the product easier to discover, easier to serve, and more accessible to new consumers.
International culinary partnerships can play a similar role.
Parma's Food Identity Is Becoming Increasingly International
Parma has long been recognised as one of Italy's great food destinations.
Its culinary identity includes Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, Culatello di Zibello, handmade pasta and countless other products associated with Emilia-Romagna. But the city is increasingly presenting gastronomy as something bigger than local cuisine.
The 2026 edition of Settembre Gastronomico focused on creativity and brought together food, culture, international relations and other creative fields. Chuncheon was included as one of the international partners. That approach makes sense for a city with such a strong food identity. Parma's traditional products can attract tourists, but they can also become a starting point for international conversations.
A chef from Korea can learn about Culatello. A Parma chef can discover new approaches to Korean ingredients. Students can exchange culinary knowledge. Restaurants can collaborate.
Suddenly, food becomes a bridge rather than simply a product.
From Food Exchange to Gastronomic Diplomacy
The Parma-Chuncheon partnership is beginning to demonstrate what might be called gastronomic diplomacy. The phrase may sound formal, but the concept is quite simple. Countries and cities often build relationships through politics, business,s or education. Food provides another route: one that is personal, accessible and enjoyable. A plate of food does not require a common language. People can taste something unfamiliar, ask questions and become curious about its origins. That curiosity can lead to something larger.
According to South Korean reporting following the Parma visit, the two cities are looking to expand cooperation into culinary education, student exchanges, tourism and cultural programmes. They also discussed continued cooperation around future events, including activities planned for 2027. In other words, the dinner table may have been only the beginning.
The Future Could Be More Than Fusion Food
There is a temptation to describe every international food collaboration as “fusion.” But what happened in Parma may be more interesting than that word suggests. Fusion can sometimes mean putting unrelated ingredients together simply because the combination sounds unusual. The Parma-Chuncheon exchange is different because it is connected to an actual relationship between two cities. The chefs are not simply creating novelty. They are learning from each other. That could eventually lead to chef exchanges, culinary workshops, restaurant collaborations, student programs, and food tourism initiatives. Imagine a young Korean chef spending time in the Parma countryside learning about traditional cured meats and handmade pasta. Or a Parma chef travelling to Chuncheon to learn more about dakgalbi and Korean cooking techniques. Those experiences could create recipes that neither side would have developed alone.
Protecting Tradition While Welcoming Change
Perhaps the biggest lesson from the Culatello and Korean collaboration is that tradition does not have to be frozen in time. The production of Culatello di Zibello remains protected by strict geographical and production rules. Its connection to the Parma lowlands is fundamental to its identity.
But the way people enjoy the product can change. A traditional slice of Culatello can still be served exactly as it has been for generations. At the same time, chefs can explore new combinations and introduce the ingredient to diners who may never have encountered it before. There is no contradiction between the two. In fact, responsible innovation may be one of the best ways to keep traditional food relevant.
A New Chapter for Culatello
The story of Culatello meeting Korean chefs is ultimately not about replacing tradition. It is about giving tradition another opportunity to speak. Culatello still belongs to the Parma countryside. Its production remains connected to its protected territory, its traditional methods and the people who have preserved them. But food does not stay in one place forever. It travels with chefs, tourists, families and curious diners. It crosses borders and sometimes finds unexpected partners. For Parma and Chuncheon, that journey has created a promising new connection. A Korean chef can discover the complexity of a carefully matured Culatello. An Italian chef can find new inspiration in Korean flavours. A visitor can sit at a table in Parma and taste a dish that would have seemed impossible a few years ago. And that is perhaps the most exciting thing about food. It can respect where it came from while still making room for something new. The future of Culatello may therefore not be about reinventing the product itself. Its future could be about reinventing the conversations around it. From the foggy lowlands of Parma to the kitchens of Chuncheon, one of Italy's most distinctive cured meats has found an unexpected new audience. And the next chapter of that story may only just be beginning... LEARN MORE
