Chuncheon's signature dakgalbi — spicy stir-fried chicken — has emerged as a star dish in Parma, Italy's celebrated gastronomic city. The visit raised hopes that Chuncheon dakgalbi, already selected for the Korea Food Promotion Institute's K-Gastronomy Road program, could build on the global popularity of Korean spicy chicken to win a wider international following.
The Korean delegation, in turn, savored Parma's fresh handmade pasta, and the shared meals helped deepen the bonds between the two cities.
Deputy Mayor Hyeon Jun-tae led a Chuncheon city delegation to Parma from Sept. 16 to 23, introducing the city's food and culture and broadening the scope of the sister-city relationship — from gastronomy into education, culture and tourism.
The visit was organized around Parma's flagship annual event, Settembre Gastronomico (Parma Gastronomy Month), and aimed to advance concrete cooperation projects following the two cities' sister-city agreement signed last September.
Chuncheon's dakgalbi met Parma's residents directly on Thursday, when the delegation held a tasting event at the San Paolo cultural complex in conjunction with a special lecture titled "Korea: Culture and Taste" by Alberto Mondi, Chuncheon's honorary ambassador. Kwon Sun-hyeon, deputy consul general at the Korean Consulate General in Milan, also attended. Chuncheon chefs prepared the dish on-site, while students from Liceo Romagnosi performed live music, weaving together the culinary and artistic cultures of both cities.
On Monday, the Al Vedel restaurant in Parma hosted a "four-hands dinner" — Cena a Quattro Mani — bringing together chefs from both cities. Executive Chef Enrico Bergonzi of Parma and the culinary team from Chuncheon's Tongnamujip Dakgalbi restaurant presented dishes that blended ingredients and cooking techniques from both cities, demonstrating the potential for deeper culinary exchange.
The Chuncheon chefs who accompanied the delegation made fresh pasta alongside Chef Luca Pardini and visited a salumi and cheese academy as well as a Parmigiano Reggiano production facility. The group also toured global food company Barilla, examining Parma's food production, processing and retail systems.
Sister-city cooperation also took more concrete shape. On Thursday, the delegation met with Mayor Guerra at Parma City Hall to discuss ways to expand exchanges in gastronomy, education, culture and tourism. They then visited ALMA, the international culinary school, to review a chef-training program conducted in partnership with Gangwon Life Science High School, and agreed to continue cooperation including student exchanges.
On Monday, the delegation visited Liceo Romagnosi to explore the possibility of a sister-school agreement with a Chuncheon high school, along with student exchanges and joint programs.
A working-level international exchange meeting between Chuncheon and Parma held the same day covered follow-up initiatives, including cooperation for a 2027 "Ciao Italia" event, continued participation in Parma's Gastronomy Month, and Parma's involvement in the Chuncheon Makguksu and Dakgalbi Festival. The two cities plan to continue developing specific exchange programs across all agreed areas based on the discussions.
"Through this visit, we introduced Chuncheon's food and culture directly to the people of Parma and mapped out the direction of exchanges the two cities will pursue together," Deputy Mayor Hyeon said. "We will work to ensure that the connection forged through gastronomy leads to substantive exchanges in education, culture and tourism that involve students and citizens alike."
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