Wikipedia editors in heated debate over origins of chicken parmigiana

An online battle about the origins of the beloved chicken parmigiana has erupted on Wikipedia as editors debate whether the dish is truly an Australian classic.  

The entry for chicken parmigiana was last edited on Friday as Wikipedia editors continue their seven-year-long discussion about the page being unfairly slanted towards Australian culture. 

The editor’s discussion page for the beloved dish have argued since 2014 that the parmigiana’s roots in Italy and American history should be highlighted. 

Wikipedia editors continue years-long battle over the origins of the iconic Australian pub dish of chicken parmigiana (pictured: stock image chicken parmigiana) 

‘(In my opinion) someone seems to have an agenda to claim the dish as Australian, when the majority of sources state the dish is Italian-American in origin,’ one Wikipedia editor wrote on a discussion page in 2015. 

Another editor said the current Wikipedia page for the parmi is unfairly focused on Australia.  

‘The current version is heavily slanted toward how the dish is prepared and consumed in Australia and does not adequately show how chicken parmigiana is prepared and consumed in various other regions,’ one editor argued. 

 The discussion started in 2014 arguing that Italian and US history of the crumbed chicken meal was being ignored (pictured: stock image of chicken parmigiana) 

Others claim the website should be traced back to its Italian origins and popularity in the United States – as chicken veal and eggplant parms are common dishes in Italian restaurants.  

‘The dish may be common in Australia, but it is not an Australian dish in origin at all.’

Another editor said: ‘I think we need to tone down the article’s Australian bias and add more of the history of the dish as well as its prevalence in the United States.’    

Food historian Jan O’Connell said the iconic parmi – crumbed chicken breast topped with melted cheese, tomato sauce and sometimes ham served with chips and salad – was first introduced to Australian pubs in the 1980s.  

‘You won’t find chicken parmigiana in any Italian cookbook,’ Ms O’Connell told ABC Radio in 2019.

The parmigiana was originally made from eggplant in the 17th and 18th centuries as a delicacy in restaurants. 

Italian migrants introduced the parmi to American in the early 1900, which is often served on spaghetti or on a sandwich.   

Food historian Jan O’Connell said the iconic parmi was first introduced to Australian pubs in the 1980s (pictured: stock image of chicken parmigiana)