Slow Food Presidiums 2022

Preserving biodiversity even at the table is one of the fundamental objectives of the Arca del Gusto and the Slow Food Presidia, which every year increases its ranks by hosting in an international catalog products and traditional techniques at risk of disappearing: reclaiming the flavors of the past and saving them from the homogenous mechanisms of the Large Distribution is essential to ensure future generations a healthy and enjoyable life, as Carlo Petrini, founder of the Slow Food association, already argued in the late eighties.
 

From April to May, the Slow Food Presidia 2022

The topic of “slow food” is particularly relevant in an increasingly frenzied global scenario, little attentive to quality and obsessed with quantity, struggling to find a sustainable horizon to aim for. In today's article, we will sneak a peek at the latest news on the Presidia, reporting on their uniqueness.

Slow Food Presidia 2022 – The Flat Blonde Onion of Drubiaglio

We find ourselves in Avigliana, a municipality in the Piedmont region of Val di Susa: here, since Roman times, a type of sweet and digestible onion has grown, so attached to this land that it refuses to thrive equally well elsewhere. Used in numerous culinary preparations, this onion can be cooked in the oven with a specially prepared filling, although it can also be consumed raw.

DOP since 2016 and already a product of the Arca del Gusto, the onion of Drubiaglio has reached the status of Presidia from May of this year, being recognized as a healthy, nutritious food historically linked to the territory of Oltre Dora (referring to the Dora Riparia, a tributary of the Po).

Slow Food Presidia 2022 – The Violet Artichoke of San Luca

Cultivated on the hills south of Bologna, this Emilian artichoke is excellent for being consumed fresh or boiled, with a dressing of extra virgin olive oil and salt: also suitable for becoming a cream or a paté, it is originally a rustic, resistant, and robust plant, which does not require excessive agricultural care. The only care it needs is communicative, to enhance its history and flavor, described as “herbaceous, with notes tending towards licorice root” in the Slow Food card.

Widespread in clayey soils, the Violet of San Luca is a smaller artichoke than others, less productive and slower to mature, characteristics that disadvantage it compared to competitors.
The project initiated in collaboration with the Emilia-Romagna Department of Agriculture aims to safeguard this product, starting from the week dedicated to the vegetable held in the middle of last month (May 15-22): a path undertaken with the help and interest of the community, as well as the intervention of private entities which, like the Banca di Bologna, offer funding to support the cultivation of this typical artichoke variety.

Slow Food Presidia 2022 – Black Mussel of Taranto

The black mussel of Taranto is a presidium that runs counter to the prejudices that also sink into the sea off the coast of the city, speaking of pollution and reckless industrialization. However, the habitat of the Mar Piccolo sharply contrasts with this image of degradation, presenting itself as an oasis where mollusks find highly favorable conditions to reproduce and thrive.

The farming of mussels here has been documented for about five centuries, but it has suffered a halt due to technological advancement and the use of plastic nets for fishing. That is why a high attention to the environment and circular economy is associated with the Presidium, which includes the use of nets made of compostable material compatible with the seabed.

And you, which Slow Food Presidia 2022 did you know? Which ones do you think will be the next to be introduced?
If you want to learn more generally about the principles that bind Slow Food and Spaghetti & Mandolino, we finally refer you to this article from our magazine, reiterating the founding ideals of this e-commerce project.

S&M