Slow Food

Back to Basics
Movement
the
Slow Food
Back to Basics
Movement
the
Founded in Italy in 1986, the Slow Food movement celebrates
the delights and pleasures of real food and drink. Now
adopted internationally, the organisation s message is
spreading, with even the US, birthplace of the Big Mac,
embracing its concepts. Helen Hosker reports
T
T
he Slow Food movement is still
little known in the UK. Fast food
on the other hand is all too
familiar. So if the concept of Slow Food
is new to you, think of it as the antithesis
of fast food. Where McDonald's,
Burger King and the like stand for speed,
convenience and mass production, Slow
Food celebrates the pleasures of the table
meals shared with family and friends
using regional and traditional products.
The movement started as a protest
against fast food. The catalyst was
McDonald's application to open a
restaurant at the foot of the Spanish
Steps in Rome s historic Piazza di Spagna
in 1986. Carlo Petrini (now Slow Food's
president) was outraged at the thought of
the golden arches in such a beautiful
setting, and joined the protests against
the restaurant. Eventually the protesters
had to compromise (the restaurant
opened without the arches) but Petrini
realised that the groundswell of support
could be mobilised into a Slow Food
movement.
Italians rallied behind this charismatic
figure and the simple goals he set saving
traditional dishes and foods from
extinction and supporting modest
restaurants serving genuine food. Just
three years later the movement became
international when delegates from 15
countries ratified a Slow Food manifesto,
proclaimed the right to taste and
adopted the movement s symbol, the
snail. Today the movement numbers
75,000 members worldwide, organised
into local groups known as condotte in
Italy and convivia in the rest of the

world.
FROM ITALY TO THE REST OF
THE WORLD
The organisation may still have a low
profile in Britain, but its message has
spread rapidly in other European
48 | OPTIMUM NUTRITION | SPRING 2004 OPTIMUM NUTRITION | SPRING 2004 | 49

countries whose culture of appreciation

of food is stronger than our own. Even
America, birthplace of the Big Mac, has
seen the light. Inspired by such
luminaries as Eric Schlosser, author of
Fast Food Nation (Penguin) and Alice
Waters of Chez Panisse, Americans have
joined the movement in their thousands
- Slow Food USA now has the largest
membership outside Italy.
Slow Food's profile was raised considerably when it founded the Salone del
Gusto, a showcase of the best food and
wine, held biennially in Turin. Described
variously as an inventory of planetary
food and a five-day fiesta , it offers
and in real or potential danger of
extinction. So far hundreds of cheeses,
meats, fish, and fruit and vegetables
have been added to the list, including an
artisanal raw milk cheddar from
Somerset.
The Presidium - a word meaning fort or
garrison - has been set up to protect the
foods in the Ark. Local presidia use Slow
Food s resources to help publicise the
foods they are trying to protect.
Restaurants and cafs using these foods
are recommended in Slow Food s bestselling guides and on its website. The
Presidia can also take the load off small
producers by dealing with the burden of
paperwork associated with modern
hygiene rules. In this way traditional
produce and methods are being
preserved and the sons and daughters of
producers are being persuaded to move
out of the towns and back on to the land.
Corby Kummer, in his book, The
Pleasures of Slow Food (Chronicle Books),
tells the heartening tale of Giuseppe
Garibaldi, who after 17 years working at
the docks in Genoa, returned to help his
mother run a restaurant on the family
farm in Liguria. Now locals flock to sit at
the wooden farm table and eat hearthcountries whose culture of appreciation
of food is stronger than our own. Even
America, birthplace of the Big Mac, has
seen the light. Inspired by such
luminaries as Eric Schlosser, author of
Fast Food Nation (Penguin) and Alice
Waters of Chez Panisse, Americans have
joined the movement in their thousands
- Slow Food USA now has the largest
membership outside Italy.
Slow Food's profile was raised considerably when it founded the Salone del
Gusto, a showcase of the best food and

wine, held biennially in Turin. Described

variously as an inventory of planetary
food and a five-day fiesta , it offers
and in real or potential danger of
extinction. So far hundreds of cheeses,
meats, fish, and fruit and vegetables
have been added to the list, including an
artisanal raw milk cheddar from
Somerset.
The Presidium - a word meaning fort or
garrison - has been set up to protect the
foods in the Ark. Local presidia use Slow
Food s resources to help publicise the
foods they are trying to protect.
Restaurants and cafs using these foods
are recommended in Slow Food s bestselling guides and on its website. The
Presidia can also take the load off small
producers by dealing with the burden of
paperwork associated with modern
hygiene rules. In this way traditional
produce and methods are being
preserved and the sons and daughters of
producers are being persuaded to move
out of the towns and back on to the land.
Corby Kummer, in his book, The
Pleasures of Slow Food (Chronicle Books),
tells the heartening tale of Giuseppe
Garibaldi, who after 17 years working at
the docks in Genoa, returned to help his
mother run a restaurant on the family
farm in Liguria. Now locals flock to sit at
the wooden farm table and eat hearthThe Slow Food message reached the UK in 1997 when the first convivia
were formed in the Cotswolds and in London
tasting sessions, conferences and seminars Inspirational accounts also appear in
the in villages, towns and cities from
with food historians and famous chefs. It pages of Slow: the International Heral
d of Aberdeen in Scotland to Frome in south
has also provided a platform for launching Tastes, the movement s quarterly west E
ngland. The convivia organise a
Slow Food ecogastronomy initiatives, magazine. A recent issue featured the program
me of events from cheese, wine
notably the Ark of Taste and the Slow yacon (pronounced shakon ), a sweet and beer
tasting to visits to biodynamic
Food Presidium. melon-flavoured root grown in northern
farms and conferences
Argentina. This root has been found to
on local food issues.
contain inulin, a natural sugar substitute,
Wendy Fogarty, leader
ECOGASTRONOMY EXPLAINED which has potential as an alternative to
of one of London s

artificial sweeteners. Since blighted by a

The Ark catalogues and safeguards
convivia, says:

The

drought in the early 1980s, the yacon has

endangered food and wine from around
challenge for Slow
become a marginal crop but now a
the world. To gain admission to the Ark,
Food in the UK is to
Presidium has been set up to promote
a food must be of exceptional quality
continue to celebrate
the cultivation and marketing of the root.
regional diversity and
Nowadays the Slow Food movement is
to offer small farmers
as much about promoting biodiversity as
and artisans whatever
the pleasures of the table. In the words
protection we can by
of Carlo Petrini: The fact is that our
helping to raise their
pleasure cannot be disconnected from
visibility and
the pleasure of others, but it is likewise
accessibility, by giving
connected to the equilibrium we manage consumers as many
to preserve (and in many cases revive) Slow Food's president, Carlo Petrini reas
ons as possible to support them and
with the world we live in. by simply acknowledging the very real
pleasure they bring to our tables.
This philosophy is increasingly taking
Slow Food into the developing world. This One of Slow Food UK's successes was in
year saw a historic agreement between collaborating with government agencies
Slow Food and the Brazilian government to obtain funding for 45 specialist
to promote small-scale traditional producers to participate in the Salone del
agriculture. Slow Food will set up Presidia Gusto in 2002 and for many of Britai

n s
projects to support Brazil s small farmers traditional cheeses to be showcased at
who have strong ties to their land s history Cheese, a biennial celebration of the
best
and indigenous culture. dairy products held in Slow Food s home
town of Bra.
SLOW FOOD IN BRITAIN
ABERDEEN SLOW
The Slow Food message reached the UK
in 1997 when the first convivia were Dr Chris Fenn, nutritionist, author and
formed in the Cotswolds and in London. professional speaker, is convivium leader
At the same time food scares and of Aberdeen Slow. She describes herself
concerns for sustainability were making as passionate about food that is organic
,
consumers more discerning - seeking out local and fairly traded. She is also a
local producers and shopping at farmers supporter of various environmental and
markets. This revival of interest in ecological organisations. She says, Slow
baked testaroli (pancakes) with pesto regional, seasonal food also contributed
Food is an umbrella group which takes
sauce, a regional speciality which had all to the growth of Slow Food in the UK,
in all aspects of organic food, local food,
but died out. which now numbers seventeen convivia Fair Trade products, biodiver
sity and
50 | OPTIMUM NUTRITION | SPRING 2004 OPTIMUM NUTRITION | SPRING 2004 | 51

eating well in all senses

the psychological sense as well as the social and
biochemical sense. I was amazed that
Slow Food encompassed all these aspects
and so I only needed to be a member of
one organisation.
The group was only formed in
September 2002 but has already
established a full programme of events
from a cookery course for kids to a
harvest supper using locally sourced
foods. Dr Fenn has given one of her
seminars entitled Beat stress and eat for
success . It fits exactly with the Slow
Food philosophy. I look at people s
lifestyles, she explains. Usually they are
going at ten million miles an hour and
trying to cram in so many things. I look
at how they eat and how that s affecting
their energy levels and how to counteract that but within the constraints of
people living the lifestyle they want to
not completely giving up your job,
putting on sandals and starting an
organic farm.
Dr Fenn is enthusiastic, although she
acknowledges it will take time for the
Slow Food message to catch on in the
UK. In this country food is just
something we shove in our mouths and
swallow. We don t have the belief in
taking time over food, cooking food and
eating it and it s such a shame.
She has this advice for Slow Food
converts: If you don t want to be a
complete Slow Foodie you could start
perhaps by buying locally. Go to your
local farmers market and search out
alternative ways of buying food other
than from a supermarket.
Most consumers are used to going to
the supermarket, whizzing around with
the trolley and getting everything they
want under one roof. With Slow Food
you may end up going to several
different shops and it takes time but if
they re small shops you get to know the
producers and other people who shop in
that way and you end up chatting about
food much more.
For those who don t have the time to
shop except at the supermarket, she
recommends buying organic food and
cooking it with care. The preparation of
the meal is part of the enjoyment of the
meal as well as eating it. Eat without
doing millions of other things. You
watch people eating while they re using
the computer or watching the telly and

that s not a positive eating experience.

TASTE EDUCATION
The Slow Food movement was quick to
realise the importance of taste education
for the next generation. The organisation
has developed teaching materials to help
children develop sensory appreciation
and an awareness of how food fits into
their society s culture. In Italy where the
programme has been running for 10
years, there are Slow taste workshops,
teaching manuals and refresher courses
for teachers and parents.
In Scotland, whose population is reputed
to eat one of the most unhealthy diets in
Europe, the importance of teaching
children to cook is not lost on Slow Food
members. Chef, Nick Nairn, supports the
campaign. He ran a pilot Cooking for
Kids event at his cookery school in June
2002, with the aim of reinforcing the
government s recommendation of five
portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
Twelve local children took part, making
their own juices, soup and pizza. While
the children were unconvinced by the
carrot, honey and ginger soup, they
loved eating their own homemade pizza.
Lessons learnt from that event have led
to the compilation of an information
pack, so that other convivia can organise
their own Cooking for Kids days.
Taste education extends to adults as well.
Members can now study to become a
Master of Food, following a syllabus of
20 themed courses, covering wine,
cooking techniques and raw ingredients.
And if you are a professional in the food
sector you can study at the European
Academy of Taste, in the university town
of Pollenza. Graduate of the Academy of
Taste now there s a qualification you
can't get at McDonald's Hamburger
University!
FURTHER INFORMATION
web www.slowfood.com A list of
regional convivia is listed on the
website, under movement.
FURTHER READING
C Kummer, The Pleasures of Slow Food,
Chronicle Books, 25.00.
Helen Hosker is a writer and broadcaster
on food and health issues. She has an
interest in sustainable development and
works with producers and her local council
to promote locally grown food in South
West Surrey.
TIPS FROM SLOW FOOD LONDON
 Savour your food - chew it, really taste it , and enjoy
its sensorial pleasure.

 Think about where the food that you eat comes

from, how it is produced and by whom. Who
benefits from the purchases that you make?
 Food is not merely fuel - think about the environmental, economic, social and cultural value of the
foods that you eat.
 Enjoy your food in the company of others, wherever
and whenever you can.
 Eat local, seasonal and sustainably produced foods.
 Grow your own - preserve endangered seed crops by
buying and growing them.
 Be discerning. Buy from those who are experts in
their field and really know about the products that
they are selling: local butchers, fishmongers, bakers,
specialist food shops and markets. Above all, don't
be afraid to ask questions and become your own
judge of product quality.
 Reject food that is over-packaged and recycle
everything else.
 Campaign to safeguard traditional foods from
super-hygienist regulations.
 Be curious. Whether at home or when travelling,
seek out products of local distinction.
Members of Slow Food can now study to become a
Master of Food, following a syllabus of 20 themed courses,
covering wine, cooking techniques and raw ingredients
eating well in all senses
the psychological sense as well as the social and
biochemical sense. I was amazed that
Slow Food encompassed all these aspects
and so I only needed to be a member of
one organisation.
The group was only formed in
September 2002 but has already
established a full programme of events
from a cookery course for kids to a
harvest supper using locally sourced
foods. Dr Fenn has given one of her
seminars entitled Beat stress and eat for
success . It fits exactly with the Slow
Food philosophy. I look at people s
lifestyles, she explains. Usually they are
going at ten million miles an hour and
trying to cram in so many things. I look
at how they eat and how that s affecting
their energy levels and how to counteract that but within the constraints of
people living the lifestyle they want to
not completely giving up your job,
putting on sandals and starting an
organic farm.
Dr Fenn is enthusiastic, although she
acknowledges it will take time for the
Slow Food message to catch on in the
UK. In this country food is just
something we shove in our mouths and
swallow. We don t have the belief in
taking time over food, cooking food and
eating it and it s such a shame.
She has this advice for Slow Food

converts: If you don t want to be a

complete Slow Foodie you could start
perhaps by buying locally. Go to your
local farmers market and search out
alternative ways of buying food other
than from a supermarket.
Most consumers are used to going to
the supermarket, whizzing around with
the trolley and getting everything they
want under one roof. With Slow Food
you may end up going to several
different shops and it takes time but if
they re small shops you get to know the
producers and other people who shop in
that way and you end up chatting about
food much more.
For those who don t have the time to
shop except at the supermarket, she
recommends buying organic food and
cooking it with care. The preparation of
the meal is part of the enjoyment of the
meal as well as eating it. Eat without
doing millions of other things. You
watch people eating while they re using
the computer or watching the telly and
that s not a positive eating experience.
TASTE EDUCATION
The Slow Food movement was quick to
realise the importance of taste education
for the next generation. The organisation
has developed teaching materials to help
children develop sensory appreciation
and an awareness of how food fits into
their society s culture. In Italy where the
programme has been running for 10
years, there are Slow taste workshops,
teaching manuals and refresher courses
for teachers and parents.
In Scotland, whose population is reputed
to eat one of the most unhealthy diets in
Europe, the importance of teaching
children to cook is not lost on Slow Food
members. Chef, Nick Nairn, supports the
campaign. He ran a pilot Cooking for
Kids event at his cookery school in June
2002, with the aim of reinforcing the
government s recommendation of five
portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
Twelve local children took part, making
their own juices, soup and pizza. While
the children were unconvinced by the
carrot, honey and ginger soup, they
loved eating their own homemade pizza.
Lessons learnt from that event have led
to the compilation of an information
pack, so that other convivia can organise
their own Cooking for Kids days.
Taste education extends to adults as well.
Members can now study to become a
Master of Food, following a syllabus of

20 themed courses, covering wine,

cooking techniques and raw ingredients.
And if you are a professional in the food
sector you can study at the European
Academy of Taste, in the university town
of Pollenza. Graduate of the Academy of
Taste
now there s a qualification you
can't get at McDonald's Hamburger
University!
FURTHER INFORMATION
web www.slowfood.com A list of
regional convivia is listed on the
website, under movement.
FURTHER READING
C Kummer, The Pleasures of Slow Food,
Chronicle Books, 25.00.
Helen Hosker is a writer and broadcaster
on food and health issues. She has an
interest in sustainable development and
works with producers and her local council
to promote locally grown food in South
West Surrey.
TIPS FROM SLOW FOOD LONDON
 Savour your food - chew it, really taste it , and enjoy
its sensorial pleasure.
 Think about where the food that you eat comes
from, how it is produced and by whom. Who
benefits from the purchases that you make?
 Food is not merely fuel - think about the environmental, economic, social and cultural value of the
foods that you eat.
 Enjoy your food in the company of others, wherever
and whenever you can.
 Eat local, seasonal and sustainably produced foods.
 Grow your own - preserve endangered seed crops by
buying and growing them.
 Be discerning. Buy from those who are experts in
their field and really know about the products that
they are selling: local butchers, fishmongers, bakers,
specialist food shops and markets. Above all, don't
be afraid to ask questions and become your own
judge of product quality.
 Reject food that is over-packaged and recycle
everything else.
 Campaign to safeguard traditional foods from
super-hygienist regulations.
 Be curious. Whether at home or when travelling,
seek out products of local distinction.
Members of Slow Food can now study to become a
Master of Food, following a syllabus of 20 themed courses,
covering wine, cooking techniques and raw ingredients
52 | OPTIMUM NUTRITION | SPRING 2004 OPTIMUM NUTRITION | SPRING 2004 | 53