The origins of the parmoThe history of the parmo starts in Italy with the Parmigiana, a shallow fried filling coated in cheese and tomato, then baked in the oven. Traditionally found in southern Italy, the filling wasn't always a meat one. In fact, the earliest recorded parmigiana was made with sliced aubergine.
The story goes that during World War II, an Italian-American soldier called Nicos Harris, a chef in the American army, was wounded in France and brought to a hospital in England for his treatment. He later moved to the North-east, settling in Middlesbrough and opening a restaurant in the town. He started selling his first parmos, based on the parmigiana recipe, in 1958 and their popularity spread from there. Nowadays, parmos are an extremely popular takeaway dish throughout Middlesbrough, Stockton, Hartlepool and the surrounding areas, can be found on many pub menus and are even sold in Asda, Morrisons and Pizza Huts throughout the Teesside region. |
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