Aussies are outraged by the parmi’s ‘ugly British cousin’: ‘What the hell is a parmo?’
- Aussies are revolting against the British version of a chicken parmigiana
- A British restaurant labeled a version of the dish as ‘parmo’
A British restaurant has been criticized by Australian diners after calling their chicken parmigiana a ‘parmo’ – before going further furious with a strange twist on the dish.
The menu features several versions of the simple chicken parmigiana – more commonly known Down Under as ‘parmi’ or ‘parma’.
A conversation about the correct abbreviation ensued shortly after an image of the menu surfaced Reddit – and at first Aussies were outraged.
But it turns out that “parmo” is actually short for Teesside Parmesan – a classic northern English dish that differs from the Aussie chicken parmigiana in that it’s topped with a white béchamel sauce and cheese.
Australians are furious after a British restaurant calls a parmigiana chicken a ‘parmo’. But the meal is a ‘classic Northern English dish’ which differs from the Australian version (menu pictured)
A number of irate Australians were quick to share their views on the matter.
‘I don’t even know why it’s an argument to begin with, the full name is ‘parmigiana’ ergo, ‘parmi’. There’s no other name for it,” one person wrote.
‘WTF is a parmo? Furious now,” another added, a third quipped, “No wonder the empire is crumbling.”
One person went a step further and said, “Republic NOW.”
Despite the uproar, others offered a simple explanation – and as it turns out, Australian and British cuisine aren’t quite linked.
An Australian chicken parmigiana is topped with tomato sauce and cheese (photo, stock image). But a British Teesside Parmesan is topped with white béchamel sauce and cheese
One said that a ‘parmo’, or Teesside Parmesan, is a dish that originated in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire and is a popular takeaway in the Teesside area.
“It consists of a breaded chicken or pork cutlet topped with a white béchamel sauce and cheese, usually cheddar cheese,” the person wrote.
This is in contrast to the chicken parmigiana which is made with a panko breadcrumb coating and topped with tomato sauce and cheese.
Another supported the claim, writing: ‘Obviously a menu from the UK. They don’t say everything exactly the same as Australians.’
And it turns out that the Teesside Parmesan originated in Britain, while the Australian chicken parmigiana goes back to Italy.