Chicken parmigiana facts for kids
Chicken parmigiana from an American restaurant
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| Alternative names | Chicken Parmesan |
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| Main ingredients | chicken breast, tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan |
Chicken parmigiana, also called chicken parmesan, is a yummy dish. It's made with a piece of chicken breast that has been coated in breadcrumbs. Then, it's covered with tomato sauce and lots of melted cheese. The cheese is usually mozzarella, parmesan, or provolone. Sometimes, people add ham or bacon too!
This dish first appeared in the 1900s, created by Italian people who moved to other countries. Many people think it's a mix of two Italian ideas. One is melanzane alla Parmigiana, which uses breaded eggplant instead of chicken. The other is a cotoletta, which is a breaded meat cutlet, often veal.
Chicken parmigiana can be used in many ways. You might find it in sandwiches or even pies. Some restaurants even have eating contests where people try to eat the most chicken parmigiana!
Contents
Where is Chicken Parmigiana Popular?
In North America
This dish, often called "chicken parm," started in the northeastern United States. Italian immigrants brought the idea with them. By the 1950s, it became a popular meal in restaurants that served Italian-American cuisine.
People also started making it at home more often. In 1953, a recipe was printed in the New York Herald Tribune. It showed how to make the dish using frozen fried chicken. Later, in 1962, The New York Times also shared a recipe.
In the United States and Canada, chicken parmigiana is usually a main course. It's often served with pasta or on top of it. Many restaurants also sell chicken parm sandwiches. When Italian immigrants came to America, meat was cheaper. This made it easier to use chicken in their parmigiana dishes.
In Australia
Chicken parmigiana was known in Australia by the 1950s. Restaurants in Adelaide were serving it as early as 1953. It's a very common main meal all over Australia. People often think of it as a classic pub food.
A food historian named Jan O'Connell thinks it became a pub favorite around the 1980s. Before that, you would mostly find it in fancier restaurants. In Australia, chicken parmigiana usually comes with chips (fries) and salad. People sometimes debate if the chips and salad should be under or next to the chicken!
Because it's so popular, a special chicken parmigiana restaurant opened in Melbourne. There are even websites where people review the dish from different pubs. The dish has different nicknames in Australia. The most common ones are 'parmy', 'parmi', and 'parma'.
Dishes Like Chicken Parmigiana
In Italy
Besides melanzane alla Parmigiana (the eggplant dish), Italy has other similar meals with meat.
Carne pizzaiola is a dish from Naples. It has meat topped with cheese. It's often cooked with tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and white wine. Beef is used most often, but it can also be made with chicken or pork.
Another similar dish uses veal and is called cotoletta alla Bolognese. This one doesn't have tomato sauce. Instead, it has melted parmesan cheese and prosciutto (a type of ham). Costolette Parmigiana is another veal dish. But in Italy, it's usually served without sauce or cheese.
In the United Kingdom
In England, there's a dish called parmo. It comes from Middlesbrough. Parmo is usually fried breaded chicken or pork. But instead of tomato sauce, it has a white béchamel sauce and cheese. Parmo started out as escalope Parmesan, which was inspired by chicken parmigiana.
In Argentina
In Argentina, there's a version of milanesa a la napolitana. It's made with chicken instead of the usual beef, much like chicken parmigiana. Sometimes, it's topped with ham, bacon, or a fried egg. It's usually served with french fries.
See also
In Spanish: Pollo parmesano para niños
