A little slice of Tuscany in Cologne

If it’s Italian you’re looking for then this is the shop for you. Parma is predominantly all about food but it does also cater to homesick Italians who just have to have the genuine Italian article. Thus we find Bebè detergent for delicate bambinos and Snob eau de parfum for, well, snobs I suppose. Ever needed buon-appetito napkins with crossed Italian flags to give your meal that distinctive pizzeria touch? Parma can help. Look out too for Tre Stelle soap, billed as the soap of the nuns (cleanliness is next to godliness they say), and the extensive collection of Pinochio puppets, pasta machines, cheese graters and cards and gifts for your prima comunione. I wanted to begin by talking about how I had found a charming little slice of Tuscany in the heart of Cologne but the truth is we are talking more a large shed in a marshalling yard somewhere outside Bologna. This particular shed is a cavernous warehouse in the heart of Ehrenfeld’s charming industrial zone, with a roof so high and lighting so low one is reminded of a church. And, as it happens, you can buy votary candles here. My favourite has a portrait of Saint Lucy offering you her eyeballs on a plate. But, no worries, Parma has much tastier fare than that. The pasta aisle is some 35 metres long and offers every imaginable type. Whether it’s chifferi or fusilli or conchiglie or just plain old spaghetti, Parma sells it. And everything else Italian an expat from the peninsula might crave: bread, wine, olive oil, coffee, cookies, preserves and grappa to name but a few. The refrigerators have fresh pasta, cheeses and meats. The freezers contain a selection of fish, calamari and prawns. There is, naturalmente, an antipasti counter with tray after tray of tasty things. The cheese section is mostly Italian with some Spanish and French delights added for good measure. For my money, Parma has the best pecorino to be found anywhere in Cologne.

Italy is the land of salami and here too Parma does not disappoint. The excellent meat counter offers hams and preserved meats of all sorts. But the highlight for me is the fresh-made salsiccia (Italian pork sausage). This is only available on Thursday afternoons, Fridays and Saturdays, and comes in plain, fennel and chilli varieties. In the BBQ season these beauties are exactly what your grill needs: good meaty sausages without an excess of fat. In the event of a sausage emergency (they happen) you can also buy them frozen any shopping day of the week. And, as you depart, your shopping bags full of Italy’s bounty, why not stop for an espresso at the small bar by the entrance? At uno euro a cup the price is hard to beat. And the little Italian cookies are free. You can see why I like this place.

Parma Delikatessen
Heliosstrasse 39, 50825 Köln
T: 0221-543011-13
www.parma-delikatessen.com

Text: Christopher Leary - www.learyworks.com