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As we live faster, we feel more and more under pressure, we don’t have time for family or friends and have forgotten the art of resting. We eat whatever and wherever. Yet our health and fitness depends on our nourishment. Therefore we have health issues resulting from being overweight and obese. We can also observe a rapid increase in the numbers of people suffering from “civilisation diseases”.
In opposition to the fast food venues that are growing in popularity and to consuming meals quickly and carelessly, a movement has sprung up called ‘slow food’. It’s an international non-profit organization, founded in 1986 in Italy and since the very beginning it took to the protection and support of food producers in various parts of the world. Nowadays the ‘Slow Food’ movement is being described as an eco-gastronomic fraction of the eco-movement, although many say it’s the culinary wing of the anti-globalization movement.
Traditional recipes with a good taste
One of the most important slogans of “Slow Food” is “To protect the right to flavour”. The organisation is promoting a project called “Flavour Ark”, which is reminiscent of the biblical Noah’s Ark. It’s based on reviving traditional recipes, vegetables, fruit, grains and some farm animals that are either extinct or are in danger of becoming extinct.
Individual countries strive to gain the system’s protection for as many food products from their regions as possible. France and Italy are leaders here, they have listed several hundred products, among them such culinary evergreens as camembert, comté, blue d”Auvergne, mozzarella, gorgonzola together with Parma ham and balsamic vinegar. The Greeks have covered over 20 cheese types. The Portuguese have introduced 12 cheeses, and also various kinds of honey and olive oil. The Austrians have placed Tirol ham on the list; the Belgians – many kinds of Arden’s beers and butters, the Spanish – their asparagus, honey and saffron, the British – Shetland lamb and beer from Kent, the Welsh - beef, the citizens of Luxemburg – pink butter, and the Swedes – the suns – chewing tobacco which decreases the risk of getting lung cancer.
The benefits of healthy food
The food in the style of Slow Food is low processed, produced by traditional methods and avoids complex technology in food production. The special methods of food preservation which exclude using advanced machinery or high levels of processing, lies in their lack of artificial additives and adjuvants; such food has nourishing properties and provides less risk of allergies.
A healthy lifestyle
The concept of Slow Food is not only of healthy, less processed, traditional foods; but also for having time to enjoy their flavours. The organisation’s symbol is a snail – a slow creature that should draw our attention to the unhealthy influences of life in the fast lane and show us that by slowing down, we’ll gain something. Slow Food requires the consumption of food in peace, without distractions; it also calls for enjoying the flavour and aromas as well as taking pleasure in the food itself. The philosophy of Slow Food also has a wider dimension; which applies to other areas of life. It’s not only a diet, but a lifestyle that underlines the meaning of relaxation in our lives. It requires us to slow down just for a moment and get away from the everyday details of life. The followers of this philosophy of life try to convince us that in it we’ll regain our happiness and inner harmony. Doctors tell us that this slowing down and less distracted food consumption will minimise the risk of heart attacks, diabetes and even cancer.
Slow Food’s goals
- To protect and promote traditional local food preparation methods
- To buy foods produced locally and traditionally
- To organize ‘seed banks’ in order to maintain the natural diversity of cultivation
- To organize local cuisine days in the protected food production regions
- To organize small food production venues, especially for FMCG (e.g. slaughterhouses)
- To run activities in order to raise the awareness of the hidden risks of consuming fast food
- To go against the spread of transgenic plant development (USA are leading in this field, whereas in Europe Spain leads)
- To promote restaurants labelled with the Slow Food brand
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