The Slow Food Movement in Italy

During your travels to Italy, you might have realised that food is a very important part of Italian life and it’s not just regarded as daily sustenance, but also as a way to be social and most of all a pleasure to be enjoyed in good company. And I’m sure that you’ll agree with me that Italian food is a big component of any travel you might undertake there and it can really make a lot of difference between a good holiday and an unforgettable one, especially if during your travels you have an amazing gastronomic experience.

The Italian slow food movement for example plays a very big part in promoting local and authentic food in Italy. The slow food movement started back in the 80’s as a backlash against the increasingly popular fast food and fast living. The founders’ mission was to preserve traditional, regional cuisine and to bring back the pleasure and enjoyment of good, local food.

As you know the culinary tradition in Italy is second to none and since then there has been a return to local specialities, and organic farming, organic grocery shops and farmer’s markets all support this trend. Italy’s Slow Food movement has played a leading role in this respect. At home and abroad, it actively promotes the preservation of local products, culinary traditions and environmentally conscious food production.

Its founder, Carlo Petrini, believes that ‘everyone has the right to good, clean and fair food’. Of course this doesn’t extend just to the quality, but also to the way in which the food is produced and transported, as well as the need for adequate pricing for both the consumers and the producers.

Next time you travel to Italy, I invite you to shop at farmers’ markets and try the local specialities and enjoy ‘slow food’, which is indeed more flavourful and must be enjoyed at a relaxed pace. There are many restaurants and establishments which support the whole slow food philosophy, represented by the picture of a snail, and it’s definitely worth searching them out!