Parmo facts for kids
Parmo, or Teesside Parmesan, is a dish originating in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, and a popular item of take-away food in the Teesside area. It consists of a breaded cutlet of chicken or pork topped with a white béchamel sauce and cheese, usually cheddar cheese. The name of the dish is a reference to the dish chicken parmigiana, which is made with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. In an April 2019 survey, parmo ranked 20th in Britain's Top 20 Favourite Takeaways.
Contents
History
Origins
Parmo is said to have been created by Nicos Harris, a chef with the United States Army in World War II. He was wounded in France, but was brought to the United Kingdom to be treated in a British hospital. Eventually, he moved to Middlesbrough and opened a restaurant, The American Grill, on Linthorpe Road, where he created parmo in 1958. His son-in-law, Caramello, still lived in Teesside as of 2014, continuing the family tradition.
Supermarket sales
In 2009, supermarket chain Asda started selling parmo in their shops in Teesside. They claimed they were selling 6,000 chicken parmos a week, making them at the time the shop's fastest-selling line. Asda later expanded this line to branches outside Teesside.
Variations
Common parmo variants include additional toppings and preparations of the meat. These include:
- Parmo hotshot - a spicy version topped with cheese, pepperoni, peppers, garlic butter and chilli
- Parmo Kiev - topped with cheese, garlic butter and mushrooms
- Parmo Italia - topped with cheese, garlic butter and ham, with a further topping of mozzarella cheese
- Meat feast parmo - topped with pepperoni, chicken and ham
- Parmo Zeno - topped with cheese and onions
Nutritional information
In 2007, North Yorkshire Trading Standards conducted a survey of 25 fast food dishes. A large parmo with chips and salad they tested contained about 2,600 calories and 150g of fat.
Images for kids
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Authentic Middlesbrough Parmo
See also
In Spanish: Parmo para niños
