Salone del Gusto & Terra Madre 2008

To say it was sensory over load would be putting it mildly!

A week has come and gone, more guests have come and gone, and yet the buzz of Slow Food's Salone del Gusto 08 still lives on. That is, at least for me, especially when I break out some of the delicious foods and products that I bought during my long day out. I continue to attempt to do something with all of the photos of and videos of the music that sprang up spontaneously through out the massive series of halls. The sounds are great and give a good feeling for the event even though the videos all seem to be out of focus. It's clear I haven't used that feature much. I have enjoyed reading about others experiences and thoughts on this event. I will list a few links at the end of the photos to some others blogs.

We came in with our friends the Bernards whose Genepy and Barathier are uniquely flavored mountain beverages enjoyed throughout the Italian and French alps. They were the only producers to receive the Slow Food's Maestri del Gusto award this year.

Sampling oysters and smoked fish from northern Germany as well as Beba Beer's newest seasonal brew

Colorful pasta from Torino

Chocolate from America, Boston in fact, well actually via central America.
Taza Chocolate
buy their chocolate directly from certified organic farmers. They process their chocolate minimally using Mexican stones to grind their chocolate to give a very unique chocolate. I found the 85% bar to very sweet and flavorful and unlike any their type of chocolate I have had. Their chocolate nibs were extremely tasty, which reminds me, I need to go find the bar and nibs I put away for a rainy day.
It's been raining all day, so you know what that means.

Gorgonzola

The many ways with Pork

And of course the many ways of cheese.

This aged French cheese drew and maintained a crowd throughout the day and night. All of these cheeses were aged at least 2 years and up to 5 and with it's unusual gray exterior it generated much interest.

Even though I spent the entire day and evening there, I still felt like I really didn't do it justice, as I found I just wandered around and maybe didn't dig into the products as deeply as I would have liked. Oh well, there's another chance to in 2 years. Maybe by then I'll have a better camera as well.
David Liebovitz summation of his first visit to Slow Foods Salone del Gusto, captured my feelings on the event quite succinctly.
...."this isn't an elitist opportunity to congratulate ourselves on our ability to appreciate organic arugula and lardo, but the opportunity to taste foods from all over the world, meet the people who produce them and learn about their cultivation. And in many cases, rally for their preservation."

Related Links
Salone del Gusto 1 (David Liebovitz)
Salone del Gusto 2 (David Liebovitz)
Slow Food's salone del Gusto (Ms. Adventures In Italy)
Slow Food Fair (FXcuisine.com) I can't seem to make it link
Salone del Gusto 2008 (YouTube )