Slow Food Movement…?
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| Our Slow food flag flying at Bella Baita |
Where to begin?
If you want to learn more about it first hand, you can skip this article and just head over to their very extensive site now, at this Slow Food link. Or you can read on and head over later.This is my take on the Slow Food Movement and some of its many faces. I had such a varied experience this year at the 2014 Salone del Gusto/Terra Madre event, that I though tI would break my story up into a few stories that I experienced for a series of post over the next few days. First a bit of background on Slow Food and next up will be some stories and lots of photos to give you a general feel. I will post some links to past editions of Salone del Gusto that I have attended over the years.
First up...I live in the Italian region of Piedmont where what is known as the "Slow Food" movement was born. You may perhaps not be familiar with it, or perhaps you have heard of it and not exactly sure what it means, or you have no idea what in the world I am talking about. Rest assured, you are not alone in any of these categories. However, I suspect you may have heard a reference or two in more recent years as food has become not only a huge source of entertainment, but also quite the talking point for a wide ranging of topics be it our health, our children's health, the health of our source of our food and the condition of the land that produces it. Whew, that's a mouthful. It would be fair to say that food has become political. Actually, it was and always has been political, but I think it would be fair to say that it was usually confined to the realm of food security and hardly concerned about the state of what exactly we are consuming. Then there is the small matter of the myriad of repercussions of our food choices in that what we consume and its effects that ranges from production, supply, food safety, environmental degradation, and ultimately the economy. So what started as a group of Piemontese Italians reaction to the "fast food" culture that seemed to be taking over Italy and the world, "Slow Food" was born and not too long after it was declared a movement. You can read all about Slow Food's history here. So what exactly is a "movement" you might ask? I know I did.The dictionary describes it as such;
Since 1996 the "Salone del Gusto" arrived as a biennial International exhibition of foods "dedicated to artisanal, sustainable food and the small-scale producers that safeguard local traditions and high quality products," it has been evolving ever since. What once was mostly a food fair, has now combined with another Slow Food organization called "Terra Madre" in 2004 whose network " unites food producers, fishers, breeders, chefs, academics, young people, NGOs and representatives of local communities who are working to establish a system of good, clean and fair food from the grassroots level." The organizations goal is also designed to "give a voice and visibility to those around the world whose approach to food production protects the environment and communities." Over the years, I have attended the "Salone del Gusto" mainly taking in the massive food fair and usually finding it mildly overwhelming, always inspiring and vastly educational. I have always discovered foods that I have never heard of and some that are in danger of disappearing from the face of the earth. Mostly these foods are associated with Slow Food's Presidia and Ark of Taste, which are a part of their foundation for "preserving biodiversity" which you can learn more about here.
This year I wanted to take a deeper look beyond the food fair aspect, which I naturally would not entirely abandon, but I just wanted to make sure that I participated in some of the vast array of topics, speakers, discussions, taste workshops, conferences, movies, and dinners that this 5 day event has to offer. There was an 85 paged handout on all the various events that one could participate in. Some were free and open till the room was filled to overflowing and others had limited amounts of participants and some involved extra payment beyond the entry fee to the Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre venues. I barely scratched the surface and even though I have been on numerous occasions, I still wish I had been better organized and prepared to have jumped in even deep er than I did. It truly was wonderful. Because I found this years event more of a discovery of events that I really haven't participated in before, I have decided to share a few posts on the various things that I participated in this year. I also want to make sure I am able to share a goodly amount of my photos from this year as well, so with a couple more posts I should be able to do that.
Some of my experiences and insights that I will share in the next week or two will be a combination of photos and short stories.
I will take a look at the vast Italian and International food market.
I want to share a few of the Terra Madre delegates stories as wells their contributions and market offerings to raise attention to what they are working to achieve.
Lavazza coffee and their 2015 "Earth Defenders" calendar initiate to raise money for the "10, 000 Gardens for Africa" project, plays prominently in the visual telling of some of the Terra Madre stories.
I was inspired at the "Cooking to Spread Awareness" seminar, that was a conversation between three of some of the more well known names of people who are trying to do just that. The panel featured, Carlo Petrini, of Italy and founder of Slow Food, Alice Waters of the US and an early voice of eating local foods that are produced lovingly with care and founder and advocate for the Edible Schoolyard project, and Jamie Oliver, from the UK, a celebrity chef and food activist, that has done more to raise the bar and awareness of what our children are being fed, and how that can be improved.
Then there was a taste workshop featuring "Presidia" beans and lentils as well as a gourmet dinner aptly called, Antonia's vision.
So stay tuned as these and other of my stories of my Slow Food journey from last weeks Salone del Gusto/Terra Madre, come spilling out for your reading pleasure over the course of the next week or maybe two, as I digest this latest edition.
For your consideration, "Slow Food", my view
To be continued......
Some of my past posts on the Salone del Gusto
If you want to learn more about it first hand, you can skip this article and just head over to their very extensive site now, at this Slow Food link. Or you can read on and head over later.This is my take on the Slow Food Movement and some of its many faces. I had such a varied experience this year at the 2014 Salone del Gusto/Terra Madre event, that I though tI would break my story up into a few stories that I experienced for a series of post over the next few days. First a bit of background on Slow Food and next up will be some stories and lots of photos to give you a general feel. I will post some links to past editions of Salone del Gusto that I have attended over the years.
First up...I live in the Italian region of Piedmont where what is known as the "Slow Food" movement was born. You may perhaps not be familiar with it, or perhaps you have heard of it and not exactly sure what it means, or you have no idea what in the world I am talking about. Rest assured, you are not alone in any of these categories. However, I suspect you may have heard a reference or two in more recent years as food has become not only a huge source of entertainment, but also quite the talking point for a wide ranging of topics be it our health, our children's health, the health of our source of our food and the condition of the land that produces it. Whew, that's a mouthful. It would be fair to say that food has become political. Actually, it was and always has been political, but I think it would be fair to say that it was usually confined to the realm of food security and hardly concerned about the state of what exactly we are consuming. Then there is the small matter of the myriad of repercussions of our food choices in that what we consume and its effects that ranges from production, supply, food safety, environmental degradation, and ultimately the economy. So what started as a group of Piemontese Italians reaction to the "fast food" culture that seemed to be taking over Italy and the world, "Slow Food" was born and not too long after it was declared a movement. You can read all about Slow Food's history here. So what exactly is a "movement" you might ask? I know I did.The dictionary describes it as such;
- a group of people with a common ideology, esp a political or religious one
- the organized action of such a group
- a series of organized activities working toward an objective; also : an organized effort to promote or attain an end
movement. (example, the civil rights movement)
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| Association of Potato Growers from neighboring Cuneo |
Some of my experiences and insights that I will share in the next week or two will be a combination of photos and short stories.
 |
| Champagne's renown pasta of Gragnano |
I want to share a few of the Terra Madre delegates stories as wells their contributions and market offerings to raise attention to what they are working to achieve.
 |
| African delegates and crafts from home |
I was inspired at the "Cooking to Spread Awareness" seminar, that was a conversation between three of some of the more well known names of people who are trying to do just that. The panel featured, Carlo Petrini, of Italy and founder of Slow Food, Alice Waters of the US and an early voice of eating local foods that are produced lovingly with care and founder and advocate for the Edible Schoolyard project, and Jamie Oliver, from the UK, a celebrity chef and food activist, that has done more to raise the bar and awareness of what our children are being fed, and how that can be improved.
Then there was a taste workshop featuring "Presidia" beans and lentils as well as a gourmet dinner aptly called, Antonia's vision.
So stay tuned as these and other of my stories of my Slow Food journey from last weeks Salone del Gusto/Terra Madre, come spilling out for your reading pleasure over the course of the next week or maybe two, as I digest this latest edition.
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| The Ark of Taste Project |
To be continued......
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| Me - Marla, your guide from my Bella Baita View |
Oct 29, 2010
So we start at the grass roots level and every 2 years the "Salone del Gusto", provides a market place open to the public with a reasonable entrance fee, €20, where buyers and sellers can meet and sample all the wondrous ...
Nov 27, 2012
Every two years "Slow Food International" puts on a food extravaganza they call "Salone del Gusto", which roughly translates to halls of taste, or an exhibition of flavor. We live in the mountains of Italy's Piedmont region, in the ...
Nov 03, 2008
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 ...
Oct 22, 2008
It's a very exciting time in Torino at the moment that only rolls around every 2 years. Yes, it's the Slow Food 's Salone del Gusto extravaganza. For those of you not familiar with this movement, it was born here Piedmont in the ...
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