Cena dei Mille 2025

THE DATA ON PARMA FOOD VALLEY

The "Cena dei Mille" in Parma—the first of its kind, with a model now replicated in several Italian cities—has built its reputation through world-renowned guests: Carlo Cracco, Norbert Niederkofler, Chicco Cerea, and Enrico Crippa (2022 post-Covid edition), Enrico Bartolini and Riccardo Monco in 2023, Davide Oldani and Iginio Massari in 2024, and finally, Giancarlo Perbellini at the most recent edition. But above all, it represents a region of excellence, highlighted by the 6 supply chains of Parma Food Valley: Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, pasta (Barilla), milk (Parmalat), tomato (Mutti and Rodolfi Mansueto), and anchovies (Delicius, Rizzoli, and Zarotti).

‍

‍

The numbers prove it: compared to the pre-Covid period (2019), the revenue of the 6 supply chains grew by 22%, from 9.3 billion euros to 11.5 billion in 2024. This significant leap is mainly due to a boom in exports, which rose by 67% to 5.1 billion euros this year, compared to 3.1 billion in 2019. More generally, according to UPI/ISTAT data, the food sector in Parma accounts for 5% of Italy's total value (over 11 billion euros out of a total of nearly 200 billion), and in 2024, Parma ranked 3rd out of 110 Italian provinces for revenue from food exports. It is also worth noting that the region's food companies employ 15,000 workers, which is 23% of the sector when measured against the entire Emilia Romagna region.

‍

‍

FROM THE APERITIVO TO DESSERT: THE "CENA DEI MILLE" MENU

The evening began with an aperitif featuring 18 stations in total, managed by the chefs of Parma Quality Restaurants. There were 12 food stations, 6 of which were dedicated to the Parma Food Valley supply chains, the heart of the Fondazione Parma UNESCO. The remaining 6 highlighted other regional delicacies: Culatello di Zibello, Coppa di Parma, Salame Felino, Salumi Piacentini, Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia, and Fungo di Borgotaro, along with a historical partner, Coppini Arte Olearia. For beverages, there were 6 stations, equally divided among non-alcoholic drinks, wines (with the entire aperitif area being the exclusive domain of the Consorzio di Tutela dei Vini dei Colli di Parma), and the world of mixology. The famous 'Cucù Verdiano' by VerdiOFF was the first artistic contribution of the evening.

‍

‍

The main part of the dinner was marked by 4 courses. The opening course was a centerpiece created by the guest chef of the sixth edition, the 3-Michelin-Star Giancarlo Perbellini, with his appetizer 'Egg, hummus, walnut and raisin bread, tamarind gel'. This was followed by the first course from Parma Quality Restaurants: 'The pasta, Tortelli bugiardi of Parma, Spinach sauce, Parmigiano Reggiano fondue'. The evening continued with the second course by ALMA - The International School of Italian Cuisine: 'Like a Rossini': roasted eggplant, parsnip, chickpea foie gras, and Madeira sauce. The dessert was from Chef to Chef Emilia Romagna, with a 'Soft strawberry grape on a crunchy grain wafer', within a menu entirely accompanied by Trentodoc from Ferrari Trento and wines from Tenute Lunelli, as well as a beverage partnership with Acqua Panna and San Pellegrino. The dinner was enlivened by a surprising and engaging artistic dance performance, also by VerdiOFF, to captivate the guests.

‍

‍