As a sane reaction against the abominable American phenomenon of fast food, the "slow food" concept was invented in 1986 by an Italian sociologist, Carlo Petrini, dismayed to find a McDonald's outlet erected near the Piazza di Spagna in Rome. Three years later, the international Slow Food movement was founded in Paris [click here to visit their website], with Petrini as president [a position he still holds], and it now counts 80,000 members throughout the world. The movement's mission is clear and precise: Slow Food works to defend biodiversity in our food supply, spread taste education and connect producers of excellent foods with co-producers through events and initiatives.While reading the news this evening, I learned that the movement had chosen September 15 to organize its first national Slow Food Day in France. Unintentionally, I happened to respect the spirit of this event. For lunch, I prepared myself one of my favorite simple cold dishes: king prawns, mayonnaise [home-made, of course], Provençal olives, Gamone lettuce, tomatoes and pickled walnuts.
Local chapters of Slow Food are designated by a lovely old Latin word: convivium. Apparently, the theme of French conviviums today was one of the planet's most ancient and noble foodstuffs: the potato.
Slow Food is movement founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. I've updated my article so that it mentions explicitly the fundamental role of Carlo Petrini in this fabulous project.
ReplyDeleteit's a great project, indeed!
ReplyDeleteAre there in your area resto or similar with the slow foor brand?
I'm obliged to admit—mea culpa—that I wasn't aware of the existence of this splendid movement until the other day. That's merely because I don't often read magazines, and I spend little time in the nearby cities of Grenoble and Valence. Besides, these days, I never eat out in restaurants, simply because I prefer to cook my own (slow) food. So, the Slow Food phenomenon may well exist in these places, but I wouldn't have noticed the delightful snail logo. On the other hand, I've seen with dismay that a new McDonald's is being erected alongside my favorite Leclerc supermarket in St-Marcellin.
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