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"Food
has become a source of stress for a lot of people," says
Erica Lesser, programming director for Slow Food U.S.A. Since
its founding in March 2000, her organization has worked to
educate Americans about the benefits of a slow food lifestyle,
which has emerged in recent years as an alternative food on
the run.
Simply
put, slow food is about deriving pleasure from the taste,
preparation, and presentation of food and drink, while paying
attention to the source and quality of the ingredients included.
Despite
it's popularity, eating fast food involves sacrifice for some.
Fast food, high in calories and cholesterol, can lead to long-term
health problems. And another tradeoff for convenience is an
enjoyment of the pleasures of eating.
"Taste
is something that our pallets aren't adapted to," says
Lesser, who believes that Americans have begun eating food
in larger quantities to compensate for the lack of taste in
much of our food.
The
movement runs the gamut from creating community gardens for
school children to creating markets for growers of endangered
food products. For example, Slow Food U.S.A. promotes a variety
of white corn grown by Iroquois in upstate New York, which
gives growers a greater outlet for their goods.
The
organization also works with both chefs and individuals by
coordinating events, issuing publications, and adding foods
to the Ark of Taste, a repository documenting endangered food
products and methods of preparation. Slow food practitioners
encourage restaurants to develop personal relationships with
distributors to increase quality. For individuals, it promotes
a greater appreciation for the ingredients and preparation
of their food. The slow food movement also encourages enjoying
food as a social experience.
Despite
that benefit, Lesser acknowledges that eating fast food is
a strong temptation. "In New York, there's a large component
of people who have never cooked, and never plan too,"
she says.
And
all too often, those people head to places anything but slow.
At the McDonald's on Broadway and 96th Street, the seats teem
with people munching away. A sign near the cash registers
warns that customers are limited to 20 minutes in the seating
area.
"I
feel guilty when I go to McDonalds," says Nelly Mecklenberg,
13. Normally, she says, she eats out only once or twice a
week.
According
to Lesser, the slow food movement was designer for people
just like Mecklenburg. However, while slow food by definition
is not to be rushed, it need not be time-consuming, either.
"It
is about moderation on one hand and recognition of the tasty,
delicious things you eat every day," notes Lesser.
Slow
food also does not need to be limited by one's own budget.
While membership in Slow Food U.S.A. is $60 per year, the
movement tries to accommodate people of all income levels.
For example, those who are unable to afford seminars sponsored
by Slow Food are encouraged to attend as volunteers.
Slow
Food, described by its members as a grassroots movement, has
more than 10,000 members and 100 chapters nationwide. Each
chapter is called a convivium, to represent the nature of
conviviality that the movement hopes to express. In New York
office alone, which also serves as the headquarters of the
American movement, there are 700 members.
The
slow food movement began in Italy in reaction to the opening
of the first Italian McDonald's on Rome's Spanish Steps. Seeing
this as a threat to the traditional Italian culinary heritage,
a group of activists, lead by Carlo Petrini, established slow
food principles in 1986. Slow Food, the organization, was
created in 1989 in Paris, taking the snail as its primary
symbol.
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iving in a
city whose pulse beats at a dizzying rate, it's no surprise
that New Yorkers have turned eating and running into an art
form. If you're not in the mood for the all-American burger
chain, there's likely to be a hot dog cart on the corner or
a pizza-by-the-slice vendor just around the block. But there
is an alternative for people who'd rather savor their food
slowly.
