Slow Food Switzerland is Coming to Italy for Terra Madre Salone del Gusto
12 Sep 2018 | English
A delegation of 50 people is set to take part in the most important international event dedicated to food culture and tradition.
Organized by Slow Food in collaboration with the Region of Piedmont and the City of Turin, the 12th edition of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto will be held in Turin, Italy, from September 20 to 24, 2018. Over 5,000 delegates from 140 countries, over 800 exhibitors, 300 Slow Food Presidia, and 500 Terra Madre food communities will gather in Turin.
The Slow Food Switzerland delegation includes family farmers, producers, academics, chefs, activists in the Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN), and students. Alexandre Fricker, the Slow Food International Councillor for Switzerland and executive director of Slow Food CH, will be in Turin as well. Speaking about Terra Madre Salone del Gusto, Alexandre says, “I am extremely proud to be part of the international network that is Slow Food, and to represent a delegation that will take part in Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2018. Food for change is the theme of this 12th edition and I am sure that, through exchange of ideas and dialogue with people who differ in culture, language, and customs, every one of us will return home richer and with new enthusiasm to strive for a better future for our planet.”
Slow Food Switzerland will be well represented at the Market pavilion, with a Swiss booth, located in the Oval, where the public will be able to taste and buy typical products. Among the Swiss Slow Food Presidia to be showcased are: Traditional Emmentaler (which takes its name from the valley of the river Emme in the canton of Bern, where dairy production can be traced back to the 12th century); Farina Bóna (a traditional toasted corn flour produced in the Onsernone Valley); Traditional Valais Rye Bread from the Swiss Canton of Valais; Furmagin Da Cion from the Poschiavo Valley (which, due to its proximity to the Italian border, reflects Italian influences); Mountain Pasture Sbrinz (one of Switzerland’s most famous cheeses); and Zincarlin Cheese da La Vall da Mücc (a raw milk cheese produced on the Swiss side of the Generoso Mountains, in the canton of Ticino). Here you can find the list of exhibitors.
During the five-day event, the Swiss pavilion will be a meeting place for the public and delegates from the network. Many events have been scheduled:
- Raised on Top: A Unique Rye Bread – Each day, at 2:00 p.m., the public will have the chance to meet Amadeo Arnold, a baker from the Swiss village of Simplon (1,476 m a.s.l.), who will prepare the dough for his Traditional Valais Rye Bread (Slow Food Presidium). He will explain why his sourdough is kept in a safe in Belgium, where the grains he uses come from, and how good bread can be stored for a long time. The event will include a tasting of bread that has been aged for several months.
- Meet Your Swiss Bean-To-Bar Chocolate Maker (Sept 20 at 6:00 p.m; Sept 21 at 3:00 p.m) – Laura Schälchli, a UNISG alumna, is a passionate chocolate maker who cares about the entire supply chain: from the fruit, to the working conditions of the producers and the quality of the other ingredients she uses. She will explain how her work contributes to a small but significant revolution in the Swiss chocolate industry, and will, of course, offer samples of natural and roasted cacao beans and chocolates.
- The Rich Flavor of a Poor Bean: Farina Bóna and Marchetti Gelato (Sept 21 at 1:00 p.m; Sept 22 at 5:00 p.m; Sept 22 at 6:00 p.m.; Sept 23 at 3:00 p.m.) – Ilario Garbani, producer and Slow Food activist in Switzerland, will meet Alberto Marchetti, artisan gelato maker. The topic of discussion will be Farina Bóna, a Presidium product that Alberto used, back in 2008, to make the so-called farina bona ice cream.
- Emmental is not Emmentaler: The Story of a Fight Against Cultural Dumping (Sept 21 at 11:00 a.m; Sept 22 at 1:00 p.m; Sept 23 at 3:00 p.m.) – Cheesemaker Bernhard Meier produces two forms of real Emmental(er) by hand every day: He will reveal what makes his cheese unique in the world. A vertical tasting of cheeses ripened to varying degrees will give the public a chance to discover how this cheese differ with respect to standard Emmental cheeses.
- Plalocal: A Solution for Fast But Good, Clean and Fair Food (Sept 24 at 12:00 a.m; Sept 24 at 3:00 p.m) – Jean-Yann Fuchs, chef and cook at the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2015 in Milan, will present a new idea for companies that care about good, clean and fair food: Plalocal produces and sells fresh trays, based on local and seasonal products, in biodegradable packaging.
Beside the Swiss booth at the Market pavilion, delegates from the Swiss network will be involved in two Terra Madre Forums:
Alexandre Fricker will take part in Small Producers and Big Distributors (September 23 at 1:00 p.m. – Torino Lingotto Fiere), during which delegates will discuss whether it is it possible to reconcile the reality of local production with the commercial dynamics of large-scale distribution. Positive examples and unresolved issues will be explored and analyzed.
Christian Bärtsch will take part in Butterflies in Your Stomach: Innovative Recipes and Insect Farming Start Ups (September 23 at 2:00 p.m. – Torino Lingotto Fiere). In some parts of the world – especially Northern Europe – insect recipes represent the vanguard of innovative cooking. This new ingredient has led to the creation of companies that breed insects, both for human consumption and as animal feed. Christian, co-founder and managing director of Essento, will present this reality to the public, explaining the potential that edible insects have for a more diverse, sustainable, and healthy diet.
Terra Madre thematic Forums are presented by delegates of the network and are open to the public as long as seats are available. Click here for the list of available events, which is constantly updated.
International Councillors for Switzerland
Josef Zisyadis – [email protected]
Alexandre Fricker – [email protected]
Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2018 Press Office
Slow Food, +39 329 83 212 85 [email protected] – Twitter: @SlowFoodPress
Region of Piedmont, +39 011 432 2549 – [email protected]
City of Turin, +39 011 011 21976 – +39 342 1100131 – [email protected]
To request press accreditation, please click here.
Terra Madre Salone del Gusto is an event organized by the City of Turin, Slow Food, and the Region of Piedmont in collaboration with MIPAAF (Italy’s Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies). It has been made possible thanks to its many sponsors, including the Official Partners, GLEvents-Lingotto Fiere, IREN, Lavazza, Lurisia, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pastificio Di Martino and Quality Beer Academy; with the support of Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT-Cassa di Risparmio di Torino, Associazione delle Fondazioni di Origine Bancaria del Piemonte, and Coldiretti; and with the contribution of IFAD, the European Union, and CIA (Confederazione Italiana Agricoltori).
Slow Food is a global grassroots organization that envisions a world in which all people can access and enjoy food that is good for them, good for those who grow it, and good for the planet. Slow Food involves over a million activists, chefs, experts, youth, farmers, fishers, and academics in over 160 countries.
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