The
Slow Food Way
Ancient Tastes
of Tuscany
Story and Photographs By: Stephen Ashton
While
in Florence for the annual Festival dei Popoli,
the prestigious and committed 44 year old (the world's first)
documentary film festival, I happened upon a curious brochure
that enigmatically described “Antichi Sapori
di Toscana. A Forum and Festival of Ancient
Tastes of Tuscany. Upon investigation I learned that
this event, now in its 10th edition, spans three days and has
been always dedicated to the experience of traditional Tuscan
cuisine, foods and wines of the region.
This was too good to pass up! I quickly made some arrangements,
changed my plane ticket (not so easily done in Italy) and boarded
a bus for the little town of Lastra a Signa just
twenty minutes away. By the time I arrive, the December Tuscan
sun had set. I was greeted by Manila, the director of the Tourist
Office, and we went off on foot through the narrow streets in
the old town. Lastra a Signa was a favorite place
for the genius sculptor and architect Filippo Brunelleschi
who designed and built the freestanding Cupola of
the Duomo (Dome of the Cathedral) in Florence. Brunelleschi's
contributions to Lastra a Signa include the still standing magnificent
550 year old stone city walls and towers.
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Adjacent
to the 15th Century wall is a large tent which houses the Ristorante
“Antichi Sapori” that is operated
by volunteer chefs and servers. Long tables are filled with mostly
local gastronomes… I am honored to be the only foreign
journalist or for that matter the only North American at the event.
I am delighted to discover that this year, for the first time,
the town-sponsored event has teamed up with the Italy-based Slow
Food movement. I had previously known about the Slow
Food movement…or thought I knew. I understood Slow
Food to be organized into “Convivia”groups
that get together for extended meals… plenty of time to
savor the nuances of every course. “Ah,”I said, “this
is going to be fun!”
What
I soon find is that Slow Food is indeed all that and more! The
event intends to make the experience not only one of tasting traditional
dishes, but a celebration of foods that have been on the verge
of extinction! Through a series of remarkable events (see accompanying
article on the Slow Food Movement) and the vision of Italian writer/philosopher
Carlo Petrini, nearly all of the foods tasted
at the Antichi Sapori di Toscana have not only
been identified in an official capacity, or “preserved”
in a small way, but more importantly, are re-established as commercially
viable enterprises known as “Presidia.”These
Presidia initiatives work hand in hand with the Ark
of Taste, which you will learn about in this article.
I am now prepared to enjoy the tastes of ancient Tuscany the
Slow Food Way.
Stephen
Ashton travels the world in search of independent films to be
featured at his Wine Country Film Festival, held in the Napa and
Sonoma regions of northern California each summer. His love of
food and culture leads him into great escapades that he translates
into stories for Food&Beverage International magazine. We
welcome your comments.
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