It’s the holiday season again, and the perfect time to indulge in
some of the delicious homemade foods that come from our many
different food traditions. One good resource is Slow Food USA,
whose slogan is ‘Taste, tradition, and the honest pleasures of
food.’
A Global Community
Slow Food International began in Italy in 1989 to help protect
regional foods and styles of cooking that were rapidly being
overwhelmed by the culture of fast food. The Slow Food
organization, which celebrates a food culture of tradition,
diversity and respect for the environment, now has 80,000 members
from 50 countries, including farmers, chefs and many other food
lovers.
Local Events
Closer to home, local chapters of Slow Food USA hold frequent
events across the United States, meeting (and eating) at farms,
restaurants and everywhere in between. The
Slow Food USA
Web site includes contact information to help people find local
groups, which are active in most major cities across the
country.
Rediscovering Favorite Foods
Ready to reconnect with some holiday traditions? Here are a few
ideas to try.
- Regional apple varieties. Far beyond ‘Red Delicious’ vs.
‘Granny Smith,’ there are thousands of named apple varieties with
delicious and unique flavors. Most of these apples don’t hold up
under shipping and long storage, so you’ll enjoy the sweetest
flavors if you find an orchard close to home. - Rare turkey breeds. Many now rare breeds were once our
traditional Thanksgiving turkeys, including ‘Standard Bronze,’
‘Narragansett’ and ‘Bourbon Red.’ These birds are well suited to be
raised in free-range conditions, and produce lean, flavorful
meat. - Real wild rice from the Great Lakes region. This is the
only grain native to North America and is an important part of the
culture of local Native American communities. It is still harvested
in the traditional way, by canoe, by the Anishinaabeg people.
You can learn more about these foods at
www.slowfoodusa.org, or try
www.localharvest.org, to find local farmers and
farmer’s markets.
Megan E. Phelps is a freelance writer based in Kansas. She enjoys reading and writing about all things related to sustainable living including homesteading skills, green building and renewable energy. You can find her on Google+.
