I am sure that all of you know very well what fast food means. Talking how unhealthy and destructive it is for our organism is unnecessary and even boring because it has just become a lifestyle . Today I would like to talk about something absolutely opposite to fast food. Have you ever heard about Slow Food? I suppose that most of you have read some article or have seen a programme or even for some time have lived in that "slow" way. Recently Slow Food has become very popular. But in fact it's not just a trend like some modest telephone or hairstyle. For me it is a way of thinking, feeling and living. I know that it sounds irrational and naive. For people for whom cooking is a passion, pleasure and the best method of fighting against stress and mental tiredness, Slow Food means a life.
Slow Food is a non-governmental organization or, to be more precise, a movement which has been initiated in Italy but currently has created branch offices nearly all over the world. Its principal idea is to cultivate and to celebrate a taste of dishes As well as the promotion of a local, natural and eco friendly food. Furthermore they offer resistance against Fast Food which constitutes a danger for good and original food.
Food has to rely on natural ingredients, ecological production and avoiding preservatives. The association fights against mass production and homogeneous taste. They promote a different, simple and quiet style of life. According to the idea of slow food, a meal is a pleasure during which people are savouring a taste of dish. A ham should have a taste of real ham, a cheese should taste a cheese and juice fruits. As a way of cooking, it promotes using only seasonal and
local products. It means that we eat only that food which is growing currently and we don't import them from other continents. As you probably remember when we were admitted to the European Union, the discussion about future of Polish food has started soon. The law of Union is restrictive and doesn't permit any production of food in such a specific way as we do it in Poland. Oscypek, bryndza or sauerkraut were endangered. Slow Food organization helped with creating a new act of law which has saved Polish tradition of preparing the regional products. Otherwise it would have been illegal. Slow food has the only one disadvantage - its price is higher than most of the products in supermarket. On the other hand, it helps us to return to the roots and taste meals from the past.
Recently in Warsaw has appeared the first Eco Market. It is a very interesting place where the farmers and the small producers sell their products. Everything which is being sold there is absolutely natural, healthy and ecological. You can find there almost everything – meat, ham, dairy products, bread, fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately EcoBazar is open only once a week on Saturday but nevertheless it is a big step forward to the better future.
Have you heard about Slow Food?
Do you think that nowadays it is possible to live in that way?
Have you been in some ecological market or even EcoBazar yet?
Food has to rely on natural ingredients, ecological production and avoiding preservatives. The association fights against mass production and homogeneous taste. They promote a different, simple and quiet style of life. According to the idea of slow food, a meal is a pleasure during which people are savouring a taste of dish. A ham should have a taste of real ham, a cheese should taste a cheese and juice fruits. As a way of cooking, it promotes using only seasonal and
local products. It means that we eat only that food which is growing currently and we don't import them from other continents. As you probably remember when we were admitted to the European Union, the discussion about future of Polish food has started soon. The law of Union is restrictive and doesn't permit any production of food in such a specific way as we do it in Poland. Oscypek, bryndza or sauerkraut were endangered. Slow Food organization helped with creating a new act of law which has saved Polish tradition of preparing the regional products. Otherwise it would have been illegal. Slow food has the only one disadvantage - its price is higher than most of the products in supermarket. On the other hand, it helps us to return to the roots and taste meals from the past.
Recently in Warsaw has appeared the first Eco Market. It is a very interesting place where the farmers and the small producers sell their products. Everything which is being sold there is absolutely natural, healthy and ecological. You can find there almost everything – meat, ham, dairy products, bread, fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately EcoBazar is open only once a week on Saturday but nevertheless it is a big step forward to the better future.
Have you heard about Slow Food?
Do you think that nowadays it is possible to live in that way?
Have you been in some ecological market or even EcoBazar yet?
I'm very curious what EcoBazar do you mean..I know that in the summer, every weekend there is kind of "bazar" on Nowy Świat street. But only when it's nice weather so people can come. Anyway I think it is really good idea, sellers from diffrent parts of Poland come to and present the best products of their regions. Usually they have only ecological things, vegetables, hams, sausages which smell like real meat:) and some fruits as well. I really like like it. This is also great opportunity for the tourists who visit Poland to try our traditional food of excellent quality.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah I've heard about slow food. In Portugal this is very popular..I would say it's kind of lifestyle there. When I was in Porto or some other town, I don't remember in which excatly, I went to the restaurant with my sister. We waited for waiter to serve us about half an hour then for the meal an hour and the best part..only for the check we waited another half an hour. Can you imagine?Then we found out that this little snail sticker we saw on the door of this restaurant means that this is "slow food" place.
About your second question I think it is possible of course to live in that way. It depends on us and maybe also on our earnings. Healthy food is soooo expensive! It's very strange for me for example wheat flour is much more cheaper and available almost everywhere. To buy rye one you really have to search hard and when you finally find it, it's not so cheap.
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ReplyDeleteYes it's much more expensive than mass food but of course it is worth of money. Unfortunately most of us can’t afford to live in such a healthy life style.
ReplyDeleteMany people are really getting angry when they have to wait in restaurant more than 10 minutes. For me it’s just a pleasure. During the waiting we can spend a really good time with friends, family, oneself… it is a time of relaxing.
First time I have heard about Slow Food. It is very interesting that such organization exists. As I think about it, it is important that the flavors of the regions have always the same tastes.
ReplyDeleteLast week I was to one, it was extremely expensive. However they are maybe worth their price.
I am sure that they are worth the money. I don't know if you have noticed but in Auchan there is a stand in greengrocer's department with ecological fruits and vegetables. All of them are smaller and a little bit ugly but we can be sure that it is due to they were growing without harmful herbicides.
ReplyDeleteActually I’ve read something before about Slow Food but it didn’t focus my attention enough. Now I could become more familiar with that topic, thanks.
ReplyDeleteI think every kind of healthy leaving could be implemented. Just to spend more time on it, that’s all. Unfortunately being eco and green doesn’t correlate with saving the money. Still it’s quite expensive. EcoBazar ?! I do not believe in such institution. If you want to be 100% sure about eco food just start to plant vegetables. Otherwise you’re overpaying for something uncertain. Few months ago, when I was travelling across Germany I saw kind of a greengrocer market with a field where vegetables grow. Big advertisement ‘Bio-Gemuse Hertzlish Willkommen’ – nothing strange except highway nearness. Is that eco ?!
I think there are other possibilities to live in "slow food" way than only buying expensive organic products. I can't afford to do my shopping in exclusive healthy food shops. Still, I enjoy cooking and eating together with my family. I believe that the essence of "slow food" life is celebrating meals, talking at the table and making food yourself instead of using highly processed ingredients. If I have possibility (usually on holidays), I buy cheese, milk or eggs straight from a farmer. That's the cheapest method to get really healthy and tasty products :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, I have heard about slow food but so far I haven’t been to any restaurant that would serve slow food. I do support this initiative as today it is getting harder and harder to “taste our lives”. The food we eat is contaminated with many different preservatives which makes it very unhealthy. There is a very good saying: you are what you eat. Indeed, what we eat and how we eat influence our body and our health.
ReplyDeleteI think that with appropriate amount of money slow food is possible and accessible to anybody. However it is not easy and requires some effort on our side. However if we want to eat healthy we have to make this effort. Nothing comes easy. In today’s world where there is no time whatsoever for anything and everything was to be done “for yestarday” we have to bear in mind what we live for.
So far I have never been to any ecologiacal market or EcoBazar but surely I will try to get acquainted with this kind of food. If this is to help my body get healthier I will do my best to try it.
When it comes to slow food restaurants it is something that is worth experiencing. Today we live in such a rush that we do not even experience what live and real food is for. Slow food allows us enjoy the taste of food. We do not eat food in order to get stuffed and get back to work. In my opinion there should be more and more slow food restaurants. Unfortunately we live in a world where you have to pay for good quality. I would not hesitate to pay more for slow food in order to enjoy my meal.
As I said slow food is a way of life. I agree with you Asia. I also can't afford to do shopping in healthy food shops. To my way of thinking slow food first of all means enjoying the dish. I'm really keen on cooking, sharing with my family and friends and just spending that time in nice and tasty way. It is my definition of Slow Food.
ReplyDeleteWell, I didn't actually know that it's defined as a movement. I think, spending time cooking tasty dishes is a good use of time. I'm not very experienced cook, but if I have some free time, I do a little bit of experimenting in kitchen. I've noticed that it's nice if it tastes good for you, but it feels great if someone else tells you that you've done a good job. What about your healthy favs? I love all kinds of salads and everything that comes with vegetables. Do you have any slow food restaurants that are worth a visit?
ReplyDeleteRomantyczna Restaurant which is located in dr Irena Eris SPA (Dylewskie hill) as a first in Poland has received a Slow Food recommendation but in Warsaw I don't think we have any of them.
ReplyDeleteI never heard about Sloow Food but it seems very interesting topic. When I'm on a normal/typical market I wonder that the food sold there are Eko or not. I'm not an expert who can check it - but I know that food sold there are tasty;))
ReplyDeleteYea, everything which is being sold by poor farmers with "Eco" mark is absolutely natural, healthy, ecological and... very expensive. For me organizations like "Slow Food" is OK, but without wrong ecological theory like buy it because "IT" is more "ecological".
ReplyDeleteI am also skeptical about the organic products and such as. For me it is another way to rip us off. :) Remember if corporations see profit in something they will plunder. For example two or three years ago markets stopped giving away plastic bags to be more ecological but of course they (markets) didn't stopped selling ecological _plastic_ bags which decompose probably the similar time. Another thing to produce ecological plastic bags you have to use more energy (and that means more trees gonna get cut and burned).
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