In conclusion…
What I’ve learned from studying Slow Food, is that they are giving small businesses and artisan craft food makers a leg up in the game; by popularizing and promoting their products as good for your body, clean for the earth, and fair to those who produce it (in the sense of wages or living conditions). Slow Food most importantly of all is a way to bring people together over a common goal: the appreciation of good, clean, & fair food. This was demonstrated at the conference by observing the sense of community that was created at each dinner, workshop, or even at the marketplace. Everyone was able to bond over food being shared, which makes for easy conversation. I learned that there is a community of people out there who do care about where our food comes from and even more importantly people who aren’t familiar with these concepts were open to learning about them. What disappointed me about the Slow Food Conference was the demographic of attendees. The majority of people surrounding me at each event were predominately white and middle-aged or older. The Conference seemed to be aimed at the wealthy, with few young adults and minorities. Although Slow Food aims to change the food world, they should also find a way to be more inclusive. No organization is perfect and they are striving to do good things, but there is always room for improvement. They could offer things in the way of scholarships or financial aid for attending many of the workshops since they were very expensive and not affordable to many people. Although there were a decent amount of free events and talks taking place. Carlo Petrini, the founder of Slow Food, was motivational and inspiring yet seemed out of touch with the problems faced by many of the working class and those at the poverty line. Does this invalidate all of his work and many ideas? No, of course not. This is simply another issue he needs to better address and offer better solutions for. All in all, I was delighted to attend the conference and look forward to participating more with this community of people in the future. Groups such as these are helping pave the way to a brighter and tastier future for all of us (hopefully).
Each Farm-to-Table restaurant I visited had many differences and similarities. Many of the Denver establishments seemed to source their proteins from farther away, while the Washington establishments that I visited sourced the majority of their proteins from within the Pacific Northwest. Since I had visited all of these places within the same season, I found much repetition in the vegetables I was served. This was comforting to know, since it was a friendly reminder that I still had plenty of summer left to enjoy as long as I kept finding squash blossoms and tomatoes in my dish. Much of the success contributed to these restaurants comes from making yourself stand-out in some way; Alex Seigal’s restaurants showcased their delicious sheep’s milk cheeses, while Watershed Cafe boasted a delicious meatloaf that was one of their only non-rotating items on the menu. Almost all of the restaurants had a concise list of all the producers they source from posted on a stylish chalkboard or written on a mirror. If this was not posted in the dining room, then it was generally listed on the menu itself. Transparency is key when you are running a farm-to-table restaurant. Customers generally come there trusting that everything is sourced ethically and locally, so posting your sources is another way to reassure the customer. Wait staff was always knowledgeable about the menu and where certain food items came from. If they didn’t quite know the answers to my questions, they would swiftly find out the answer for me. To conclude, I believe that farm-to-table restaurants may be upscale or considered trendy by millennials now, but it is the way all restaurants should strive to be in the future.
Personally, I believe the truest way to showcase terroir within a product includes the use of wild fermentation. Using yeast starters that are lab cultivated doesn’t fully allow the substrate to express it’s true natural flavors. Starters don’t fully eradicate terroir from the product, but they simply don’t allow the true expression of place to shine through. I deeply admire Black Project Brewery in Denver, because of their use of wild fermentation within their beers. The taste was superior in many ways (from my perspective) and it gives a full story to the beer. When you sip one of their sour beers, you are tasting Denver and the unique microbes within their workplace. In contrast, when sampling whiskey from Stranahan, terroir is expressed through the use of Rocky Mountain snow melt, Rocky Mountain barley, the production process, and special barrels for aging. Although the use of a lab cultivated yeast starter could diminish the terroir. I often wonder how the flavor would change if they used yeast and other microbes naturally found on this barley to start and complete the fermentation process. Think of it this way, you’re looking at a puzzle, but several pieces are missing. You understand what the picture is…but there are gaps where you clearly can’t see anything except the table the puzzle is sitting on. That’s how I view products made with lab starters; they are incomplete in a sense. This doesn’t mean they are bad, because you can still get enjoyment and pleasure from them. More than likely they taste amazing; I’m just looking at this through the lense of someone chasing the essence of pure terroir. The chase in which I plan on continuing throughout my food journeys.
~