Slow Food: Is this here to stay? Or just a passing fad?

Will the world learn to ignore McDonalds style cuisine and return to simpler, regionally based foods? What do you know about your own food traditions? Is it normal to eat papaya in the winter time in Germany? Is the Slow Food movement about eating like our grandparents?

There are so many aspects to the Slow Food Movement. I hope you take some time to investigate the movement and then think about your own relationship to food. What does food mean to you and your family? What role does it play in defining your culture? Or is it just something that fills you up? What does the Slow Food Movement mean to the concept of living "Green" and supporting a better life for you and local farmers? Is Slow Food a strategy?

I look forward to your comments and ideas. Feel free to post what you feel is relevant!

Admin wrote:Is the Slow Food movement about eating like our grandparents?

definitely not

i think slow food is about eating consciously and about enjoying your meals... the world has become so hectic that food doesn't play a major role in our lives which is actually quite sad - especially when it comes to the nutrition of children (i'm sure everybody heard of jamie oliver's project in the UK to improve the food given to kids at school)!

hopefully, people will rethink their eating habits in the future...

Click through to learn more

https://www.youtube.com/user/cookingupastory

This should scare us all. Here's the intro to King Corn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiCRwMMh9k8

A 20 minute video from the movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDurZc5Yr6c&feature=related

An example of the backyard gardener revolution happening here in the US. This man is not untypical. There are many like him

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCPEBM5ol0Q

I personally think that the slow food movement gains importance because many innovations concerning food trends are developed. In general, we distinguish many different forms of food traditions in different countries. But fast food is very popular within most countries. On the other hand, there are many green movements and a "health care and healthy food" lifestyle. I know many people who take care of what they are eating and try to avoid fast food as far as possible. Movements like fair trade also confirm the trend to a more healthy nutrition.

Greetings

In Frankfurt the most traditional food is green sauce with hard-boiled eggs. Furthermore cider is typical for the region, we call it "Äppelwoi". It is really famous around here. There are two types of cider, the sweet (mixed with Fanta) or sour (mixed with water). Another speciality is "Handkäs mit Musik". This is a hand-formed small round cheese coated in marinade. But I think that not everyone living in Frankfurt likes the food. I think it is pretty good.

When I think about the region here and "slow food", I have to say, that there are many ways to get good food. There are normally several markets over the week and we have furthermore the "Kleinmarkthalle" where you can buy meat, cheese, bread etc. directly from the producer. Even when there is no market, we have some of these bio supermarkets like Alnatura and Basic.

When looking at my parents and grandparents concerning food. My grandparents don't care to much about better food. They mostly buy what's cheap. In contrast to them, my parents are totaly different. They buy many times meat at a farm near to Frankfurt or at the local butcher shop. In my opinion the taste is most times extremely different. I mean better!

Moreover I think it is really important to support local food shops, not always the big supermarkets. Over the last ten years many local shops disappeared in Frankfurt because they couldn't stay competitive with the big malls. I think that is really negative.

From my point of view traditional food - as Laura already explained - will always play an important role for people. You may agree that traditional food is one thing you often connect with unknown countries. Imagine you are travelling to Bavaria, I suggest that it is important for many people to sit in a "Biergarten" while drinking "Weißbier" and eating a "Brezel". I know that sounds a lot like a stereotype but nevertheless I think that´s a reason why traditional food will always be important.

However, I also believe that green food will become a more and more important business because people are becoming more aware of what is healthy. The society is striving to live longer and healthier, people want to avoid fat children and green food meets(and also promotes) these aspechts. Therefore I think that green food will play a major role in the future.

I found out today, that the Slow Food community Frankfurt meets regularly in "Schuch's" restaurant in Praunheim, which is quite next to my house. "Schuch's" is owned by a family. They have two daughters (they were at my school) I never went there, but I know that it is a really tradiontal restaurant. They specialised on cider, the typical drink in Frankfurt. The Slow Food community meets there to talk about their knowledge on cider and wine, which is made in the area around Frankfurt.

My opinion concerning the community and the meetings is really positive. I think, that there are many people who are interested in the slow food topic.

However, I want to point out, that not all young people eat at McDonalds everyday. It is more that they eat, what they know from home!

the world will not ignore mc'donalds for various reasons.

A return to simpler home made cooking is all over the world nowadays - also as a money saver - a very actual trend. Specially in germany, there exists a strong regional culture with emphasis in southern germany. Our own food traditions have a priority whereby fast food is for younger consumers and working females both as very popular.

Eating in winter various summer grown vegetables and fruits is quite normal.

The slow food movement is not only eating like our grandparents did , but it has a much broader impact on the overall food chain as well as on the environment.

Food has a great meaning to me and my family.
The food is considered as a basis for health, can be seen as supporting the green aspect, the advantage of organic, the support of fair trade as far as possible are essential components in our procurement and eating cultures.

Here's a frightening article from the Baltimore Sun - claiming that obese children are actually malnurished.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.malnutrition05jul05,0,3635890.story

10 Quirky Facts About Mass Produced Food

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/10-quirky-facts-about-mass-produced-food.htm

Great short report about the new movie "Food Inc".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cb6HwzCkEs