"Slow Food" in Europe
 

Sometimes there aren't the words to explain why going to France or Italy and looking for McDonalds is just plain wrong.
The Slow Food movement began in the late 1980's and "promotes local produce, and fights against fast-food chains, supermarkets and mass retail".
It helped set up a University of Gastronomic Sciences in Polenzo, Italy.

http://www.slowfood.com/

Two of my friends were instrumental in getting the SF movement started here in Pgh., and they are very involved in it. Slow Food holds events during the year, and there was a big SF international conference in Torino last fall. I've not become involved yet but do get their emails announcing all the local events, news, etc.

grandmere - Thank you. Can you tell us more about it?
I had never heard of it before.

Robjame,

PLEASE, IMO you are exaggerating a bit.

there is nothing "wrong" with going to a MacDonalds or a supermarket. Somebody, somewhere, actually produced those potatoes used in MacD' french fries not to mention the meat used in the sandwiches.

There are times, (can you believe it?) when some of that "local produce" isn't nearly as tasty as the stuff that is imported from evil empires.

The biannual "Salone del Gusto" in Turin organized by SlowFood is huge. It had clocked over 100,000 visitors in 3.5 days and 24 hours before it ended. Foreign visitors were up about 20% over the previous edition in 2004.

No, Dukey. I must disagree with you. Eat local. It doesn't have to be slow food as that takes time and who has that time day in and day out, but the evil empire should never be an option in Europe (unless you have a 4 year old in tow!) :p

It's a misconception that SlowFood promotes cooking that takes a long time. An insalata caprese with mozzarella di bufala and ripe, in-season tomatoes takes no time at all and definitely gets SlowFood's approval.

Maybe,but the slow food restaurants I have been to are a slow affair and it has nothing to do with the freshness of the ingredients. I agree with the premise of eat local and fresh, though. For me, the food is one of the prime reasons to travel.

thanks robjame & grandmere : thanks.

i looked up the web site which by the way, is very informative. i live in southern california which can grown just about anything year round - but unfortunately most food is not used locally. i'd like to find out more.

If you're going to be travelling, check out the local Slow Food sites to see what might be happening while you're there. Milan has (or had) three condotte which organized all sorts of wonderful events, such as a dinner in which EVERY course involved chocolate. If you happen to be in the right place at the right time (you may need to reserve), yes, it will be slow and it might be somewhat expensive, but I guarantee it will be worth it!

best regards,
Deirdré Straughan

living & travelling in Italy:
www.beginningwithi.com

Downloading the "Slow Food Presentation", a PDF file explains a lot. There is a wonderful picture of a little girl eating mussels there.
It also answers Dukey's "Why local" question - it is not an anti-US thing either. A lot of members and supporters of this movement in the US.
We are not talking about farmerss markets with boxes of toamtoes from Florida behind their stalls.

Why Local?
Fresh taste: seasonal products, harvested when
perfectly ripe, and locally suitable varieties, rather
than those selected for their ability to withstand longdistance
transportation
Fewer food-miles: less transport and packaging mean
less pollution
Better knowledege of and control over what we eat
and how it is produced
Ensuring the survival of traditional, sustainable
production methods, indigenous breeds, species and
food varieties
Preservation and protection of the local landscape and
regionality

Robjame, home from work today, having dinner party chez moi this evening, so no time to write much but seems that others are filling you in on the details and know more than I do about it!

We lived in Italy for a while and our daughter became so intrigued by the SM movement there and what it stands for that she now spreads the gospel and is part of the formation of the movement in her home town in Canada. The theories are the foundation of good stewardship of our planet's resources.

There is probably a chapter in/near the community in which you live.

Actually McDonalds uses local ingredients where possible. A McDonalds fry in Europe will be made with European potatoes.

While I see the value of using local ingredients, that's all very well if you live in California, but here in Belgium we would have to live on cabbage and potatoes in winter. I wouldn't eat strawberries in winter, but eating only local food that's in season, is not an option either. And should we never eat mangoes, oranges, kiwis etc, because they are not grown in Belgium?

One Fall I was touring Tuscany armed with the Slow Food guide to local restaurants. It was wonderful. I highly recommend traveling this way.

I'm not giving up bananas, oranges, and mangos no matter how far they have to be shipped to get to my local store.

The Slow Food movement is intriguing, but if I only ate local foods (I live in WA State) I would never eat: bananas, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, or avacodos. I would just eat apples all the time. Could I make Asian foods without ginger? What about bell peppers?

I would have a steady diet of apples & potatoes.

I say, bring on the California produce!

Eat whatever you like, but don't tell me what I'm supposed to eat or what kind of vacation I "have" to take when I visit Europe. Some of you sound like Nazis trying to control not only yours, but everyone else's lives.

<<Actually McDonalds uses local ingredients where possible. A McDonalds fry in Europe will be made with European potatoes.>>

I think you have to look into things a little more deeply...
The fact that McDonalds is using European potatoes in Europe is rather obvious but WHY are they and HOW.
- the potato processors drive the market and "forces potato farmers in the vulnerable position of being contract growers. The processor contracts farmers to grow given varieties under given conditions, and a price for the harvest is set before the season begins. This is a high-risk strategy for farmers because the crop is highly prone to disease".
I think you can see the pitfalls in this type of agicultural market.
- McDonalds buys locally IF it is cheaper and meets their economic requirements.
Australian McDonalds, a fully owned subsidiary of US McDonalds in 2005 switched from Tasmanian potato growers to New Zealand potato growers. Why? better potatoes? Cheaper potatoes? NO. It "swapped its potato contract to McCain Foods in New Zealand, the world's biggest maker of frozen French fries, from Simplot Australia." This was a processor driven decision and you can see not local. (Do they even grow potatoes in Australia?)
- McDonalds has said it won't use GM or GE potatoes. Why? Beacause the consumer in N. America and Europe would not accept genetically altered produce. They ARE going to use them in China.
Decisions are made as required not because of an altruistic business ethic (witness the type of fat used for frying).

The above is not to pick on McDonalds - it is true for many large giants that drive the industry.

As to your limes and lemons, that's sour grapes<sorry>.
Think of what you CAN do instead of what you can't. Dare I suggest canning some of those lovely WA apples for use in winter, instead of buying Granny Smiths.
substitute for swordfish, etc.

I'm sure Slow Food is lovely - sounds tasty. I personally try to eat at McDonald's once in each country I visit, so that I can compare them. Some people collect stuff on vacation - this is my thing.

For what it's worth, the McD's in Rome was far superior to US McD's. The fries were terrific.

Everything in moderation.