A fast course on Slow Food.
You have likely heard of Slow Food, the international movement that promotes local foods and traditional ways of preparing them. Well, the movement started in the town of Bra, just a few miles from our home. Carlo Petrini, the father of the movement, first came up with the idea in 1986 as a way to protest the planned opening of a McDonald’s near the Spanish Steps in Rome.
I think Slow Food is genius in its branding and marketing (the logo is a snail!). And it is a concept that is pretty hard to argue with. Local food. Seasonal food. All produced by small purveyors who, even if they have to take a little longer and charge a little more for their products, can survive on their family farms, generation after generation, without fear of being forced out of business by big corporations. It shows such respect for the people, the land, their way of life, and of course, the wholesomeness and deliciousness of the food. For me, it is one of those win/win/win ideas.
The Slow Food world headquarters are still in Bra, so I walked into their offices last week, curious to see what they were up to now.
I was immediately greeted by a lovely woman, Carmen, who was more than happy to give me a short history. The movement is growing steadily. Aside from educating all of us, she explained, they actively encourage respect for the value of food at every touchpoint, how we raise it, market it and choose it. As an association, they exercise a culture of peace and justice, encourage dialogue and discussions, and welcome all diversity. And of course, Slow Food recognizes the value of community, of raising food with respect for the animals and the health of our planet.
Really, those are values we could all adopt.
Carmen also told me about the 20th anniversary celebration at the beautiful Universita di Scienze Gastronomiche in nearby Pollenzo this weekend. The university and its impressive Wine Bank were also founded by Carlo Petrini to further facilitate the study of food and wine. Slow Food would be at the event sponsoring lectures, workshops, booths, and food and wine tastings. So I stopped by the event as well.
I quickly realized that there would be much to be seen and learned over the three day event, but I was happy to just get a taste of what they were doing (and a small taste of locally brewed beer.) Clearly, the Slow Food movement is growing and thriving, and is a living testament to why the food here is so extraordinary and delicious.
Fine, you may say, but what is wrong with fast? What about the ease and convenience of a quick meal? Well, in my humble opinion, nothing. For example, yesterday, I bought a tin of lasagna from the butcher, hand made that morning by his wife (it’s truly heavenly). At about 7, I popped it in the oven while my husband and I enjoyed a glass of wine. Right before the cheese started melting and the bechamel started bubbling, our neighbor arrived at our door with a surprise, a bunch of just-picked asparagus from her garden.
I hugged my neighbor, steamed the asparagus, tossed a salad, and served up the lasagna. And just like that, we had a feast.
The best lasagna ever, flavorful minutes-old asparagus, and a simple salad. Fresh. Fast. But Slow.
Win/win/win.
What are your thoughts? Are you a fan of Slow Food? How do you approach your food choices? What is being done in your community to keep food clean, fresh, and local?
From local farmer’s markets to artisanal purveyors, to farm-to-table restaurants, there is so much to enjoy. And so many ways to make a difference to our bodies and the planet. Let me know what you are cooking and eating and drinking! And thanks for continuing to be a part of my community and my letters from Italy!
Keep looking for my posts each week. I’ll be right here.
This is how I stay close to everyone far away. I will be writing letters once a week, with stories of Piemonte, recipes that I have fallen in love with, tales of people I meet, places I discover and anything else that I think you might find amusing, curious or worthwhile. It’s a way to look at the world from a different window, and hopefully let a little Italian sunshine into your day.