Kara

Kara Mellott
11/08/2009
ART 218
Slow Food Movement
The slow food movement originated back in the 1980’s in Italy where a man named Carlos Petrini set out to prove having more well prepared and thoughtfully crafted meals would always be more beneficial to people. At least more beneficial than ordering take out or what we call fast food from the McDonalds down the street. One might think this would be no easy task taking into consideration the daily consumption of fast food from people all around the world. It seems that people, even after this movement has caught on, still never have the time to just relax long enough to prepare a meal for themselves, and possibly a few friends, to sit down and enjoy. Whether it be a lack of energy or time, most people, including myself, don’t participate in a movement that has grown hugely since its beginning and is reaching new heights of popularity.
By the 1990’s, the slow food movement had developed into a pretty big business and had grown from 20,000 to 65,000 members in 42 countries. In addition, Carlos Petrini has written several books on the subject further promoting its aspects. Of course, being the originator of this movement put him in the position to persuade people to get on board with this movement and incorporate it into their lives. Not only have books been written, but a foundation has been started with the mission of sticking by the world’s agricultural biodiversity and being respectful of cultural foods.
The slow food movement aims to hold on to the ideas of traditional, cultural cuisine by getting people to think about the choices they are making when they eat and how they go about eating as in the environment they are in when they eat and who they are with. The whole point of the slow food movement is to basically just get people more involved with what they are putting into their bodies and to challenge themselves to come up with better options when it comes to their dining.
It is the slow food movement theory that the pleasures gained from preparing a meal and dining with family and friends thereafter will only make a person feel better about themselves. When you set aside time to actually enjoy your food, it can be a much more fulfilling experience for you. There is also a lot to teach our children about the value of fine dining and to help them to appreciate foods taste. It is important for children to think of eating time as a social event and the slow food movement will aid in the development of children’s senses.

Source:
http://www.slowmovement.com/slow_food.php