What is Slow Food?
What is Slow Food?
Greg Smith, Schuyler Virginia
Evolution is one of the slowest production factories known. However, our first and foremost teacher, Nature, shows us that anything good is done SLOW.
Take, for instance, this week’s recognition of Slow Food. We here at RWF are honoring the the works of the many conviviums (local slow food chapters) around the world who are stewarding the uses of Nature’s processes that bring to our palates succulent flavors that only Mother Nature can produce. What is Slow Food? Click the link and enjoy the treasure trove of information on this preservation for those who are truly addicted to food.
This collection of conviviums works to preserve the tasty morsels that could be pressed out of existence by standardization of taste, convenience, and the people who don’t want to slow down.
In short, Slow Food was started to preserve local food traditions. City lifestyles lead to a deterioration in the appreciation of the vast amount of effort that communities and cultures have put forth in order to continue their distinct culinary practices. This is now going further than just cities.
Visiting the Slow Food website, one will find many reasons to leave his or her seat and to a garden! Oh, to taste the freshest flavor of a tomato, arugula or kale! But I digress.. Now the question is: how does this equal fun?
Fun is enjoyment, is entertainment, is amusement. As a gastronomist I know that food is fun. But I have to ask you... do you perceive fast food as fun? Well to us at RWF, slow is divine, and in order to continue using the teachings from our master designer, Nature, we partake in the honoring of the works of Carlo Petrini, Alice Waters, our beloved Robin Wade and innumerable others who believe in the power of slow practices.
Whether you are learning about Slow Food or checking out the latest Slow Food recipe, let your mind wander to all things that you do slowly, and that are of great pleasure, then slow it down a little more... bit by bit!... GOOD!
