International Tastes Come to Town

All things food is the word on the street, as Slow Food and the city of Turin gear up to host one of the largest food-oriented events in the world: Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre. Taking place from October 23 – 27, 2014 the exhibition – quite literally a salon of taste – brings together some of the greatest minds, producers, chefs, scholars and foodies to the capital of Piedmont (home of the Slow Food movement) to discuss just why food is so integral to our daily lives.

Drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors, the event offers a myriad of activities, including an inspirational list of conferences, lectures, taste workshops and debates; an enoteca boasting over 2,000 wine labels; a street food corner; an area dedicated to the art of baking and the biggest collection of Italian artisans to be found anywhere. In short, a gastronomic paradise.

Salone del Gusto was founded in 1996 with the goal of encouraging closer relationships between producers and consumers, or as we call them, co-producers. It highlights the way in which consumer choices are intrinsically linked to the production process: the way we understand, appreciate and consume products is as fundamental as high quality production. Education plays a major role in the endeavors of Slow Food, and will feature prominently this October’s exhibition.

There will be two key themes for this year’s event: family farming and the Ark of Taste. As the United Nations has declared 2014 the official International Year of Family Farming, many aspects of the event will reflect this. The Terra Madre area of the event will host thousands of international producers, primarily small-scale farmers of traditional and indigenous foodstuffs. It will be a celebration and exploration of the world’s biodiversity. Visitors will be able to discover more about the Slow Food’s champion of biodiversity – the Ark of Taste. Guests will be able to learn more about the project and nominate a product at risk of disappearance. With over 1,700 endangered products already listed on the Ark, Slow Food hopes to grow the list to 10,000 by the end of 2015.

So as preparations gets underway here, save the date and we hope you can join us in Turin this October.

You can find the full program online from June 9 at www.salonedelgusto.it