Slow Fish 2013: The Sea Belongs to Everyone! May 9 – 12 in Genoa’s Porto Antico: an open-air market, Taste Workshops, events and meetings with fishers, chefs and experts

Slow Fish returns to Genoa (Italy) from Thursday May 9 to Sunday May 12, 2013, in the spacious and striking outdoor spaces of the city’s Porto Antico. Dedicated to the world of fish and marine ecosystems, the event is organized by the Liguria Regional Authority and Slow Food.

The guiding theme of this sixth edition of Slow Fish is “the sea belongs to everyone”. It will open to the city with a free admission event on the docks overlooking the sea, aiming to make the issues facing the marine environment and fish resources better known through simple and enjoyable events designed for all ages and needs of the public.

To raise awareness of how important our consumer choices are in determining the state of health of the seas, this year Slow Fish focuses strongly on direct experience and involvement of visitors – one of the underlying aspects of all Slow Food events. Students, young children and adults will participate in workshops to learn about making sustainable fish choices and become familiar with lesser-known species. Travelling out to sea, visitors will go fishing for recipes and traditions with fishermen. Chefs and Master of Food teachers will pass on their experience to home cooks, helping them hone their skills in filleting fish, preparing fish broth or perfecting fried fish at an authentic fish cooking school. 

New to the 2013 event is the Fish ‘n’ Chef program, presenting 16 acclaimed chefs from Italy and abroad who will demonstrate their recipes for “catch of the day” to the public, served with matched wines or beers. This new approach, offered for the first time ever in Genoa, aims to give visitors a more intimate experience, almost as if they were sitting at a famous chef’s kitchen table. 

The Market will offer a rich display of fresh and preserved fish, as well as oils, spices, salts, seaweeds and other related products. Italian and foreign exhibitors only offer products free of conservatives and artificial additives, and it is prohibited to sell bluefin tuna, swordfish, shark, salmon and other species at risk of extinction. The Presidia of the Sea are participating in the market as always, examples of how fishers can find the right balance between continuing their traditional practices whilst protecting the delicate environment in which they work. Other Slow Food Presidia representing Slow Food’s project for biodiversity will also be present, including produces of breads, fruits and vegetables, cheeses and cured meats. 

The Water Workshops are once again an important part of the program, providing opportunities to look at the issues in their complexity, with open discussions between experts and the public. The Street Food area also returns, offering visitors the chance to get to know tasty specialties from various Italian regions. The new Alliance Bistrot will offer more fish dishes from across Italy, which can be enjoyed with a glass of wine from the Enoteca – boasting a selection of hundreds of labels. 

Slow Fish is also an international campaign launched by Slow Food to promote good, clean and fair fish by informing consumers and encouraging interaction between those involved in the world of sustainable fisheries:

www.slowfood.it/slowfish/welcome_en.lasso

The complete program is now available here: www.slowfood.com