Taste the Slow Life: Slow Food

photo by Vita&C's

Erika Lesser is the Executive Director of Slow Food USA, based in New York City.

Watch the Video Interview
Part One
Part Two
Part Three

Learn more: The dangers of imposing industrial farming systems on traditional agricultural economies, especially in the developing world.

Slow Food is a global movement dedicated to the preservation of traditional food culture. In this two-part series Erika Lesser, Director of Slow Food USA, compares slow food with fast food culture. Whereas the latter tastes the same anywhere in the world, slow food celebrates diverse local food flavors and taste. Slow Food means knowing where food comes from and what the true costs of production are. It is also about food security – understanding that a varied food supply is a safe one.

Living the slow life with food as the focus is as rewarding as it is easy, and it can be done daily by each one of us. Living the slow life can also be done with others, because part of the pleasure of slow food and the Slow Food movement is in sharing, which is why the convivia are so compelling. What could be more fun than sharing a passion for good food and wine with other people who feel the same way? Some convivia have only a dozen or so members, while others may have 60 or more, yet each convivium has its individual character and interests.

A convivium can be started by simply calling a few friends who enthuse as much about food as you do, and saying, "I've got a great idea." Once you've gotten together, the ideas about what can be done will flow. Invite a local farmer to come and give a talk, or arrange a visit to a farm or orchard. Ask someone's grandmother to show how she makes hominy grits, orange marmalade, or tamales. The resources in all our communities are endless, especially when we look at all the different backgrounds that make up our wonderfully diverse country.

Slow Food is also simply about taking the time to slow down and to enjoy life with family and friends. Everyday can be enriched by doing something slow - making pasta from scratch one night, seductively squeezing your own orange juice from the fresh fruit, lingering over a glass of wine and a slice of cheese - even deciding to eat lunch sitting down instead of standing up.

As each of us changes our pace in life, slowing down, we will have an effect on the whole.

You can partake, every time you enjoy these pleasures:

* Join a local convivium
* Trace your food sources
* Visit a local farmers' market
* Join a CSA
* Invite a friend over to share a meal
* Visit a farm in your area
* Create a new food memory for a child! Let them plant seeds or harvest greens for a meal.
* Start a kitchen garden
* Learn your local food history! Find a food that is celebrated as being originally from or best grown/produced in your part of the country.

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