Imagine a virtual ark of Noah that travels through the world, collecting products that belong to the history, tradition and culture of the entire planet, to save them from extinction.
This is the Ark of Taste (“Arca del Gusto”), which, together with all the local food and local products in danger of disappearing, is celebrated on December 10th at the Terra Madre Day, a major global initiative launched by Slow Food. The purpose is to spread around the world the power to strictly local, and respectful of the planet’s resources. A unique must-haves: food good for the palate, clean for humans, animals and nature, and just to producers and consumers.
Presidia producers , food communities, cooks, academics, consumers and fans or just curious meet in every corner of the planet to celebrate local food and those who work to protect and promote it.
Celebrating Terra Madre Day in Italy
Food festivals, local dinners, farmers’ markets, farm visits, wine tastings and lectures … are just some of the events included in the Italian Terra Madre Day 2013.
Some examples? In Ostuni you can walk among the olive trees and taste the new oil. In Bracciano you can challenge for the best homemade bread . In Rome you can celebrate preparing typical and local Christmas cake, rediscovered thanks to the original recipe of a grandmother.
The Ark of Taste and local products to save
The Ark of Taste is trying to safeguard the existence of more than one thousand incredible products , from vegetables to fruit, from cheese to desserts, from breads to meats, which are likely to disappear.
What can be done to save them? Sometimes you just buy them and eat them, sometimes need to celebrate them and support the producers. Other times, when wild species are endangered, you need to eat less, to protect and promote the reproduction.
Of over 1000 products in danger of extinction, nearly 500 are in Italy. Some examples? Apricots from Valeggia, Liguria, “Vaniglia di Ribera” oranges from Sicily, the ancient barley from valleys of Belluno, in Veneto, Agnone cheese from Molise, and many others.