Want to learn more about Italian cuisine? Meet makers of the finest Italian wines, and taste everything from prosciutto to chocolate? Then head for the Salone del Gusto in the northern Italian city of Turin, which takes place from 23rd-27th October 2008 at the Lingotto centre. Tickets to many events can be purchased on the day the exhibition opens.
Top Chefs at Salone del Gusto
This celebration of traditional food is held every two years: the first time was in 1996. In 2006 170,000 visitors attended – there could well be more in 2008, given the increasing attention we are all paying to the way our food is produced. The Salone del Gusto gives you the opportunity to attend workshops and conferences to learn more about a wide range of food - and wine as well. Top chefs from all over the world also demonstrate how to cook everything from traditional Italian dishes to sushi. And of course there are plenty of stalls where you can taste and buy the produce.
Terre Madre
The Salone del Gusto this year will also include a gathering of members of Terre Madre. This is a network of small-scale food producers from around the world, who are trying to safeguard their food heritage and traditional methods of production. So at the exhibition in Turin this year, you might meet producers from Guatemala, Colombia and Argentina – as well as from Italy and other parts of Europe. It’s a chance to learn about the history and culture of food.
The Slow Food Movement
The Salone del Gusto essentially grew out of the Slow Food Movement – it’s a champion of tradition and the antithesis of industrialised fast food. Slow Food was founded by Carlo Petrini, an Italian, who was one of a number of people horrified when a branch of McDonald’s opened up in 1986 beside the Spanish Steps in Rome. (Italians pride themselves on their cuisine and use of high quality produce.) Slow Food is all about knowing where your food comes from and how it’s made. It’s about eating seasonal food that’s ideally produced locally – and on a small scale, and about protecting traditional foods, whether it’s an artisan cheese or an old variety of apple. The Slow Food Movement has now spread throughout the world, with members in 130 countries.
Try Cakes and Chocolate in Turin
Turin itself has a rich food heritage. It’s the Italian capital of chocolate and holds a Chocolate Festival each year. It is also filled with gorgeous historic cafes (go in for coffee and cakes), and has a tradition of serving great value aperitifs. Go into a bar at around 6pm and you are sure to find all sorts of snacks laid out, which you can enjoy for nothing if you buy a drink.
Read about other Food Festivals in Italy.
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