Slow food is a movement began in 1989 that promotes artisanal, sustainably produced foods that preserve traditional preparation methods. The movement came from a nonprofit organization founded in Italy by former journalist Carlo Petrini in reaction to McDonald's opening in the Rome. The organization eschews fast food and is increasingly political, speaking out against food policy that favors large-scale manufacturing in favor of slowly produced artisanal foods that promote appreciation and pleasure. The slow food diet incorporates foods that represent the ideals of the slow food movement.
Cheese
Sustainable, artisanal cheeses are common throughout Europe and increasingly available in the U.S. The preparation and sustainability criteria include the type of animal used to produce the milk -- cows, sheep and goats are the most common, and variations on these animal types exist. The feed the animals eat influences the cheese's flavor. Grass-fed cows, for example, produce a particular taste. The length of time, the location and any accompanying flavoring agents influence the cheese's flavor. For example, Rogue Blue Cheese in Oregon ages cheese wheels on roasted chestnuts in manmade caves along the Rogue River, a combination that creates a distinctive product aligned with slow food values.
Meat
Artisanal, sustainable meats range from particular types of prosciutto in Italy, to goat meat in Pennsylvania. The methods for producing slow food meats are similar to the cheese production process. The animal type, the feed used, the spices added, the aging process and location and the cut, are factors involved in differentiating one meat from another. An example of an artisanal meat produced according to slow food values is reindeer meat in Sweden, where the Sami people, a native group that spans northern Europe, produce by salting and smoking the meat in a peaked tent over an open fire for eight hours.
Bread
Artisanal bread is a European specialty. The yeast, fermentation process, rising period and baking method influence the taste and texture of bread aligned with slow food values. The Bon Bread company in Nevada creates bread from 100-year-old French yeast that ferments for up to 24 hours and rises for as long as 18. The entire bread production process lasts approximately 48 hours, and all bread is made to order.
Apple Cider
Apple cider producers that have heirloom apple varieties and use inherited preparation methods produce slow food apple cider. Apples are heirloom fruits, which means they produce a new variety each time a seed is planted. To create the same fruit more than once, grafting is necessary. Many small-scale cider makers use heirloom apples to produce artisanal apple cider. Often apples have historical associations that enhance the artisanal quality and appreciation of the cider. For example, an heirloom variety native to New York, the Esopus Spitzenburg, was Thomas Jefferson's favorite dessert apple.
References
- Slow Food USA
- Slow Food International
- "Time"; Slow Food: Can You Eat Well and Save the World?; Lisa Abend; October 2010
- "Mother Earth News"; Mother Earth News Spreads the Word About Unique Apples and Artisan Ciders; Tabitha Alterman; December 2009
- "Country Living"; Rogue Creamery Artisanal Cheeses; Hanna Rubin
- Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity: Slow Food Presidia
Member Comments