Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre 2014

A food and wine lover who is even vaguely familiar with Piemonte has surely heard of the Slow Food organization. For those who haven’t: it is an international movement for “Good, Clean and Fair” food and the promotion of sustainable food systems, founded by Carlo Petrini in Bra (Piemonte) in 1986. The movement has grown to encompass many projects and people, including the biennial Salone del Gusto. This whale of a food and wine fair is a haven of traditional, rare products from around the world all under one roof, and features an excellent Italian wine Enoteca. It was first held in 1996, when it began as the single Salone del Gusto, adding Terra Madre in 2012. 

Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food. Photo from Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, CC. License

Terra Madre is a conference of food delegates that hosts food diplomats from as far away as Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Adding Terra Madre to the five intense Salone fair days was a natural and logical step, as many of the representatives are themselves represented by their countries’ products. And, imagine you’re a small-time Black Pepper farmer from Cambodia without internet; you’ll want to garner as much information and inspiration, as many contacts and ideas as possible during the time you’re over here.

Growing numbers

The joint event last year attracted 10% more visitors than in 2010. Over five days, 220,000 food and wine lovers entered the doors of Turin’s Lingotto Fiere complex (part of which was built in 2006 for the Winter Olympics). In all, over 300 producers from over 50 countries presented their food and gave eager visitors a taste.

The Ark of Taste (Arco del Gusto) alone presents over 1000 products from around the world. This particular project promotes the world’s food whose heritage is in danger of disappearing forever. In the spirit of Slow Food, these products are sustainably produced, have a unique taste, and are a distinct part of their culture and territory of origins. Nearly 2000 products have been added to the Ark of Taste, from the gaznate pastry of Argentina filled with dulce de leche to the genetically unique Eastern Scheldt Lobster of Norway. Take a moment to click through the foods on their website -- each product is described in fascinating detail.

Photo from Oxfam International, CC. License

The overall theme for the 2014 fair is “International Year of the Farming Family.” This emphasizes the importance of subsistence farming, from the community garden to your patio tomato plant and dirt boxes lovingly sowed with seeds last spring. It’s especially relevant in the afterglow of Slow Food’s success in one of its most ambitious projects: 1000 Gardens in Africa. For “Mille Orti in Africa,” Slow Food workers and volunteers helped teach Africans the value of the disappearing heritage of subsistence farming, providing new means of healthy, viable, and independent nutrition in one of the world’s most famished countries. Their next goal? 10,000 Gardens in Africa.

Wine at Salone del Gusto

Fifteen wine producers will set up shop at the Salone, from Turkey, Piemonte, Campania, the Marche, Trentino Alto Adige, Umbria, and Lazio. The Enoteca is another reason for wine lovers to rejoice. “Enoteca” in Italian means both “wine shop” and “wine bar,” and at the Salone its meaning is decidedly the latter. This Enoteca will be a virtual tour of Italy from the terraced Alpine vineyards of the north to the sun-drenched vines of the south: Italy’s reds, whites, sparklings, and rosès are all available for tasting. The Enoteca is organized by region and its 100+ wineries are categorized in a handy guide. In addition, the Wine Bank of Pollenzo will feature tastings of its older vintages.

Enoteca opening hours: 

Thursday 1pm – 10:30pm
Friday, Saturday, Sunday 12pm – 10pm
Monday 12pm – 7pm

Inspiring local businesses

The Salone draws in tens of thousands of foodies and wine lovers (you might as well not even try to book a hotel in central Turin at this point), so business owners are justifiably getting excited and inspired. Turin, long declared the chocolate capital of Europe and recognized for its excellent culinary offerings, has sprouted several new shops and restaurants in anticipation of the Salone.

L’Ancora in Piazza Solferino is the new seafood eatery. It offers fresh Mediterranean catches on a quick eat-in or take-away basis: fried shrimp, shrimp and spinach savory brioche, sword fish strudel, and more, all accompanied with craft beer or wine by the glass. Latteria Ruràl in the Piazza Gran Madre offers fresh produce and dairy items, as well as Alpine cheeses of Aurelio Ceresa, honey from the national park Gran Paradiso, jams from mountain agriturismi, street food, and panini prepared on the spot. And then there’s the Cenerentola Pret a Manger. “Cenerentola” is Cinderella’s Italian name, and Chef Sara Carenzi (Sicilian by birth, Piemontese by adoption) cooks meals for you in your home, or prepares and then delivers it, all recipes according to her own creativity, experience, and the diner’s wishes. Good thing the locals will get to enjoy these new food offerings when the excitement has died down and the tourists have gone home.

INFO

Salone del Gusto
www.salonedelgusto.com
Date: October 23-27, 2014
Where: Lingotto Fiere, Turin (see map)

Their website is full of all the information you'll need: special events like Slow Wine, exhibitors, the fair map, the day-by-day program, and more.

Cover photo from Oxfam International, CC. License