2018 Food U.N.

For the 12th time, even years in Turin mean Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto aka the Food United Nations organized by the Slow Food movement.

the snail is the Slow Food symbol, here in front of Palazzo Madama in 2016

Foodies and food professionals of all sorts, such as researchers, producers, journalists, authors, chefs, scientists and communities meet every two years here in Turin to talk food, sustainability, business, regulations, biodiversity, politics and ethics.

This huge convention lasts 4 days, from September 20th to 24th and besides many conferences, international forums, presentations and cooking shows, it will also include many workshops all open to the public. This is the Terra Madre - Mother Earth convention part.

Then there is the Salone del Gusto or Flavor Fair 🙆 part where the Slow Food producer members from all over the world come to Turin to show and sell their own products to the public. So, there will be a market like space with stalls and path people can go through to savor different good, clean and fair specialties.

back in 2012, Alpini were the security, you can see the raven feather on the right

Where??

In the expo area of Lingotto a symbol area for Turin where the first FIAT factory was designed andthe very first EATALY opened.

Getting there is very easy as you can simply get the subway and get off at the terminal: Lingotto stop.

Vermouth another staple drink of Turin

You can save some $$ if you buy your tickets online here.

Even if these 4 days are packed with super cool events, and you'll spend hours sampling your life through the stalls, as you are in Turin, you should definitely take advantage and visit the Porta Palazzo market, thelocal living example of our food philosophy.

The whole area is actually very interesting because the whole city shops here on a daily basis, making it the largest outdoor market in Europe. 

As the Italian regulation for organic products is very strict and the certifications take up to at least 5 years, there is no organic section BUT there is a farmers' section.

Also, you should take advantage of the many specialty shops around the square, including the imported food emporiums and the many restaurants.

one of the many Terra Madre presentations

What is Slow Food?

The exact opposite of fast food!

As much as in many contemporary societies, we are always on the run, eat on the go, while walking or even driving, in Italy we keep the table appreciation and time is our luxury.

Restaurant shifts are only two as local Italians pay to eat out and for their time to chew AND chat; Italians keep the deep believe that our nutrition is our best preventive medicine and invest in what they eat, reading labels and inquiring about the origins of their foods, but also taking some healthy cooking time every day.

Sitting down at the table with family and friends is still the top social event, not only to keep up with the hood news but also to relax and enjoy life. After all, we are not cats and have just one life...

Turin version of The Absinthe Drinker by Edgar Degas

Once you see the world through our lens, many food novels, famous paintings and soul food movies just get out of their fiction dimension and become more real.

This is Italy, where the kitchen is the heart of the house, the table is the meeting point of the society and food is the pivot of the economy and the basis of our health care.

This is also why we celebrate Turin Epicurean Capital every year and how you can get to enjoy our vida royal with our walking tours, cooking classes, shopping and mindfulness sessions.