Eating slowly as a statement – the slow food movement has adopted the mission of cultivating the delightful culture of eating and drinking. As a counter-movement to uniform and globalized fast food, slow food represents a decelerated way of eating with a special awareness of seasonal and regional products and less meat consumption. Thus, slow food is not only good for the conscience and the palate, but also beneficial for health. More and more restaurateurs around the world are joining the slow food movement, daring to return to a more original culture of eating and cooking.
What is slow food?
Fans of the slow food movement describe themselves as conscious connoisseurs and mature consumers and pursue the goal of decelerating modern eating and drinking culture with a return to the original art of cooking. A special priority in slow food is sustainability. Therefore, attention is paid to the use of seasonal and regional ingredients from organic farming, species-appropriate animal husbandry and the general reduction of meat consumption.
Slow food products are also prepared according to authentic recipes of the respective region. In addition to providing better and healthier nutrition, this approach strengthens the role of farmers and makes the food market more transparent. Moreover, a contribution is made to preserve the original taste as well as the traditions of the various countries and regions.
What are the health benefits of slow food?
Fast food dishes are designed for quick enjoyment. They usually consist of only a few ready-made ingredients and can therefore be prepared in a very short time – and are usually eaten just as quickly. This entails health risks. For the most part, fast food contains only few nutrients, but all the more unhealthy fats and sugar. Furthermore, when we eat quickly, we often miss the point of satiety, which is only registered by our brain after 15 to 20 minutes. As a result, we consume significantly more calories than our bodies actually need. In the long run, this increases the risk of obesity and nutrient deficiencies.
Slow food, on the other hand, promotes a balanced diet that is rich in nutrients. Also, slow eaters consciously perceive the feeling of satiety and thus eat over ten percent fewer calories per meal than fast eaters. Slow food also offers some advantages for metabolism. Due to the slow eating, the food is digested more easily. Furthermore, the quiet enjoyment of food promotes a conscious perception of the taste of the food and the reduction of stress hormones – a perfect balance to everyday stress in the spirit of mindfulness.
When was the slow food movement founded?
The slow food movement was founded in Italy in the late 1980s by the publicist and sociologist Carlo Petrini as a protest against the fast food industry. When the first branch of an international fast-food chain opened in Rome's city center in the historic Piazza Navona in the mid-1980s, Petrini organized a culinary guerrilla campaign as a guardian of conscious, authentic culinary enjoyment. In the middle of the Spanish Steps, he invited the public to a traditional spaghetti dinner. With this classic of Italian cuisine, he wanted to defy the global one-size-fits-all menu from the USA. Within a short time, he gained a great deal of attention and was celebrated as a sustainability pioneer. Shortly thereafter, he founded the Slow Food Association, which very quickly found growing acceptance among broad segments of society.
Slow food today
Today, the slow food movement has more than 100,000 active members worldwide and well over one million supporters in more than 160 countries. The focus remains on the philosophy of a conscious, responsible and high-quality culture of enjoyment and eating. Among its most prominent supporters are, for example, the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, and world-famous top chefs such as Ferran Adrià, Alain Ducasse and Eckart Witzigmann.
The slow food organization, with the snail as its mascot, is nowadays also committed to much more than just spreading its mindful cooking and lifestyle. It supports numerous projects in the areas of species-appropriate animal husbandry, organic plant cultivation, responsible fishing, less food waste and greater consumer protection. It also organizes regular get-togethers of members in workshops, fairs or private meetings in their own homes, where the focus is on cooking together, sharing and learning from each other.
Slow food in gastronomy
Carlo Petrini, the founder of the slow food movement and chairman of its organization of the same name, defined the three standards of slow food gastronomy: good, clean and fair. All three elements must be present in a dish to be considered slow food.
- Good: The food must be good in taste and contain good nutrients. This means that both the ingredients and the end result must be right. Freshness is a matter of course.
- Clean: The ingredients of the dish come from clean, sustainable cultivation and pose no risks or harm to people or nature.
- Fair: Food is valuable, and this appreciation should be reflected in all production steps. This starts with fair pay for farmers and ends with complete transparency for the end consumer.
So if you too value the quality of your ingredients and want to drive sustainability, it is time to incorporate the slow food philosophy into your restaurant concept.
