Slow Food, Fast Food, “Healthy On The Go” ?

WHAT IS SLOW FOOD ?

A little bit of history here. Slow food movement started back in 1980 in Italy (where else :) ?). Carlo Petrini and a group of activists started this movement with the “initial aim to defend regional traditions, good food, gastronomic pleasure and a slow pace of life“ (https://www.slowfood.com/about-us/our-history/). Today Slow Food movement connects people from all over the world.

WHAT IS FAST FOOD ?

Fast food ? What do you think ? It is exactly the opposite. In general more international than traditional food with a questionable quality, not the healthiest cooking techniques, eaten on the go, in the car or between two meetings. Of course there are exceptions and you can find traditional and quality things that you can eat on the go - the world is big and so is the sea of food cultures.

SO HOW CAN WE TAKE SOME FROM BOTH WORLDS ?

Can we still enjoy good local food in this faster paced life ?

Fresh food, seasonal food, local food. Many times we buy from supermarkets vegetables and fruits that travelled thousands of kilometers, that are not riped enough and are not so tasty. A lot of vitamins and nutrients are lost or damaged during transport and long shelf exposure, and a lot of preservatives are added in order to give them an appealing look. If you had the chance to pick up fruits and vegetables directly from an orchard or a vegetable garden you know how they smell, taste and how short is the time they keep their freshness. It is perfectly fine to buy them when there is no other option, but in the season, it is a good ideea to check the local markets and producers first time. You might be surprised by the taste and the freshness of local and seasonal products. At first, you just need a little more time to plan what you want to buy and then to search for producers, but then it will be just as easy as buying them from supermarkets. There are also moments when you can find in supermarkets local and seasonal products so don’t miss the chance.

If we start to think more to the source of the food we eat and put ourselves the question “What am I eating here ?”, in time, another question will come by itself “Why am I eating here?”. I feel that if we learn to respect more the food we eat and plan a little bit in advance our meals the results will come. With food, we need good sources and good habits. And many times a good healthy homemade wrap, eaten in 5 minutes on a bench in a park, can be taken as SLOW FOOD …

But, don’t miss any occasion (be it a Sunday lunch or a Thursday dinner) to sit relaxed on a table, together with family and friends, enjoying good food cooked slow, traditional and gentle and talk about it.