Pardon
me for initially thinking when I first heard the phrase “Slow Food” that it was
the Ayurvedic way of consuming food literally in a slow and calm manner. I have
heard the term "Slow Food" numerous times since I first encountered
it. While it shares similarities with the Ayurvedic approach, emphasizing a
healthier approach to food consumption that maximizes the benefits of natural
ingredients, it also means something else, a movement where at its heart, is
the advancement of local foods, traditional gastronomy and organic food
production.
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| Terra Madre Visayas is held in Bacolod City for the 2nd time |
The
Slow Food Movement
Slow
food is defined as cooking or producing food in line with regional culinary
traditions, with an emphasis on using fresh, locally produced, high-quality
ingredients. In short, it’s the polar
opposite of a fast-food.
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| Binatwanan nga Chicken and Pork adobo pandesal |
Carlo
Petrini founded Slow Food, an organization in Italy in 1986, with the goal of championing
local food and heritage cooking. The Slow Food Movement, which strives to
preserve regional cuisine, cultivate agricultural produce, raise livestock,
nourish community food production enterprises, and promote sustainable eating
as organically as possible, has grown to include 160 member countries,
including the Philippines.
The Second Terra Madre Visayas
Terra
Madre, which translates to "Mother Earth" in Italian, is a vast
network of food communities that the Slow Food organization launched to provide
a platform for farmers, fishermen, livestock raisers, and other culinary
artisans whose methods align with the philosophy of the organization.
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| Every slow food movement member's dream ingredients |
Turin,
Italy hosted the major Terra Madre event this year from September 26 to 30,
while other countries, including the Philippines, hosted several smaller
events. The Terra Verde Visayas took place in Bacolod City from November 19-23,
2024.
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| At the core of Slow Food are the produce of local farmers |
The
event was held on the province's Capitol Grounds in Bacolod City and coincided
with the 17th Organic Farmers Festival, providing a double dose of sustainable
food activism.
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| DOT Secretary Christina Frasco talking with some Slow Food producers during the Terra Madre event |
The
five-day event featured numerous educational talks and workshops, featuring
renowned personalities from various fields such as culinary, farming, crafts-making,
and food preservation. These included food writer Ige Ramos, who led a
discussion on the "Legacy of Mario Orosa on Filipino Food
Preservation," organic farming advocate Cherrie Atilano, members of
various Slow Food communities in the country, food scientists, farmers, and
more.
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| Various beans sourced from coffee farms around Negros |
The
Slow Food Terra Madre Visayas was made possible through the collaboration with
the City Government of Bacolod, headed by Mayor Albee Benitez; the Provincial
Government of Negros Occidental, led by Governor Eugenio Lacson; Congressman
Kiko Benitez; Senator Loren Legarda; the National Commission for Culture &
the Arts; the Department of Tourism; Mayor Javi Benitez; Slow Food
International; and the Slow Food Community of Negros.
Slow
Food Community of Negros
Nowadays,
when someone mentions slow food in the culinary community, it's likely that someone
will immediately associate it with Negros, as the island is home to the most
active slow food organization in the country, Slow Food Negros.
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| Gamboa, seated at the center, with DOT 6 Regional Director Krisma Rodriguez (seated far left) |
One
of its more prominent members comes from a direct lineage of a culinary icon in
the country. Reena Gamboa, the niece of the late renowned food writer Doreen
Gamboa Fernandez, recounts her first foray to slow food. "My mom, who is
the president of the Negros Cultural Foundation, has always been in the arts
and culture scene," Gamboa shares with BusinessMirror. "I just
happened to pick up my mom in her meeting with some members of Slow Food Negros
and I was invited to join." Reena Gamboa quickly assumed the role of the
community's spokesperson in 2019 and has since actively championed their
advocacy.
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| What the opposite of "Fast Food" looks like in a plate. |
As
it carves a path to become the leader of the movement throughout the entire
country, Slow Food Negros is now taking the next steps, having inked a contract
with the Slow Food Movement to operate an office in Bacolod City, construct an
education center, and host the Terra Madre Asia-Pacific event next year.
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| The Slow Food Movement has also paved the way for more chefs to expand their culinary passion through a healthier way of preparing food. |
With
nearly 20,000 hectares of farmland available for organic farming, the island of
Negros appears poised to spearhead the promotion of the organization's slow
food philosophy, not only in the Philippines but also throughout Asia Pacific.
Asked
by BusinessMirror how this development will make a positive effect on the
province of Negros Occidental not only in the economy, in food security but
also in tourism, Reena Gamboa believes this is a step towards attracting more
tourists, from domestic and abroad, to visit Bacolod City. "We are
organizing slow food community experiences for guests to appreciate the farmer,
the process, and the ingredient by visiting the area, participating in the
process of making something out of the ingredients, thus, making the experience
memorable, enjoyable and educational. By
holding the biennial Terra Madre Asia-Pacific next year, we hope to increase
tourism just like how Terra Madre Salone del Gusto has achieved in Turin,
Italy", Gamboa said.
What’s
next for Slow Food? Slow Drink perhaps
While
exploring the Terra Verde Visayas grounds, I came across a booth serving “slow
food drinks.” Unable to try out something as my attention was quickly disrupted
by someone grilling an eel barbecue, I quizzed Reena Gamboa later on about the
slow drink scene in Negros right now.
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| The event was participated by many communities who showcased their slow food specialties |
“Slow
Drink is a new concept that will allow our bartenders and chefs to discover
different local ingredients that they may ferment and make into drinks, whether
alcoholic or not,” Gamboa said. “For now, only Lanai by Fresh Start has drinks
using fresh local ingredients. Kapipat will soon launch its own line of slow
drinks, utilizing our local tuba, to encourage people to appreciate what is
truly ours once again."
From
the sound of it, it appears that Bacolod City and the rest of Negros Occidental
are becoming prime drivers of this movement, complete with excellent food and
drinks to boot.
Slow
Food as part of community-based tourism
In
the northern tip of Negros, the city of Sagay remains a benchmark for
community-driven tourism programs that heavily involve local residents in the
managing and operation of sites such as the Carbin Reef, Suyac Island Mangrove
Eco-Park, Lapus-lapus Floating Cottage, and Museo Sang Bata, just to name a
few. As part of its Earth-first approach to marketing its tourism draws, Sagay
has also become a staunch supporter of the slow food movement that is sweeping
across the island of Negros.
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| Sagay City, Represent |
The
city’s Tourism Officer Helen Javier Arguelles finds the idea of “clean, good,
and fair food” aligning with the direction the city of Sahay has taken towards
sustainable tourism and its decades-long maritime conservation program. “We
share the same goals as it supports local communities, promotes sustainability
and biodiversity conservation, minimizes impact, creates authentic, meaningful
experiences, and promotes responsible behavior that protects natural and
cultural heritage,” Arguelles said.
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| Chef Mark Lobaton |
This
writer had the chance to savor Sagay's Slow Food experience during a recent
trip. I was back on the plane heading to Bacolod City barely seven days after
the Terra Madre Visayas event. I arrived in Sagay City with a small group and after
a whole morning of traveling, we docked on the powdery sands of Carbin Reef
where we meet Chef Mark Lobaton, who was in the middle of preparing a
traditional Sagay feast for us.
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| Kinilaw Goodness |
Laid
out in front of us are plates full of kinilaw na tanigue, kinilaw na hipon, sea
urchins, and grilled conch, all sourced from the bounteous waters of the
Visayan Sea.
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| The community at Suyac Mangrove Park serves us with some traditional kakanins |
Chef
Mark Lobaton inherited his cooking chops, especially in the creation of
Kinilaw, from his father, Vicente Lobaton, a former fisherman who became a
cook. The late food critic and historian Doreen Gamboa Fernandez referred to
Vicente as the "Kinilaw Artist" of Old Sagay.
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| Sagay Tourism Officer Helen Javier Arguelles with DOT Secretary Christina Frasco |
No
wonder chef Mark's Kinilaw, with its special vinegar dipping, packs a flavorful
punch and delivers instant delight for the palate, but more importantly, it
does justice to his father's legacy—as well as being a welcome addition to
Negros’ slow food movement.
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| Slow Food promotes heritage cuisine such as Bicho-Bicho, the popular kakanin people sought at Talisay Market |
As
Bacolod City gears up for an even bigger event next year, the Terra Madre
Asia-Pacific, Reena Gamboa admits challenges still await before Filipinos start
to question the food they are taking.
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| Nanay Sinda has been making her homemade lumpia for over 50 years |
"We,
Filipinos, have been so accustomed to thinking cheaper is better without
realizing that maybe we should question ourselves: Where does our food come
from?" wonders Gamboa.
Holding
activities such as community kitchens, according to Gamboa, can go a long way
in spreading the word about the slow food movement. The more people realize
that we can have access to good, clean, and fair food, the sooner we can also
properly reward our farmers who have committed to producing high-quality
ingredients. "One must be aware that the farmer needs to be paid a fair
price, too. We take baby steps to be able to make people realize the realities
of food systems," reminds Gamboa.
