Andiamo! Citalia Magazine Winter 2023

The
Slow Food Town
Drift into a little town in Piedmont to unearth the
roots of the international Slow Food movement.
The unassuming Piemontese town of Bra is the best-kept secret of food
lovers globally. Among the traditional food-producing landscapes of
Langhe, it makes perfect sense that the headquarters for Slow Food are
tucked away here.
If you’re unfamiliar with Slow Food, then the easiest way to describe
it is as the distinct opposite of fast food! Italian journalist Carlo Petrini
founded this international not-for-profit grassroots organisation in 1986
as a dissent against the rise of fast food. In doing so, his goal was to
defend regional traditions, the pleasure of food, and the slow pace of
life. Petrini believed that food should be good, clean, and fair for all, and
these continue to be the core values of the movement today.
You’ll now find these principles being championed in over 160 countries,
organised by local groups known as convivia.
With the Alps in the distance, Bra may just be the perfect place to
start this think global, act local food revolution. You’ll find Slow Food’s
conscious, appreciative pace reflected in every crumb of life in this rural
town - from the gelatarias, macellerie (butchers), and cafés that proudly
display the snail insignia, the symbol of the movement, to all the genial
chatter about small-scale local producers from residents. In fact, the best
way to absorb this unhurried culture is with an al fresco cappuccino, or
simply strolling its Baroque streets.
Alba is just a 25 minute drive away and is more renowned thanks to its
annual truffle fair, but Bra holds its own principal event. The biennial
Slow Cheese festival welcomes guests to celebrate natural, artisanal dairy
products, including the prized local cattle breed of razza piemontese. This
year, Slow Cheese takes place from the 12th to 20th September.
48
Citalia.com