Slow Food Nation: Why Our Food Should Be Good, Clean, and Fair

by Carlo Petrini, Alice Waters (Foreword), Clara Furlan (Translator)

By now most of us are aware of the threats looming in the food world. The best-selling Fast Food Nation and other recent books have alerted us to such dangers as genetically modified organisms, food-borne diseases, and industrial farming. Now it is time for answers, and Slow Food Nation steps up to the challenge. Here the charismatic leader of the Slow Food movement, Carlo Petrini, outlines many different routes by which we may take back control of our food. The three central principles of the Slow Food plan are food must be sustainably produced in ways that are sensitive to the environment, those who produce the food must be fairly treated, and the food must be healthful and delicious. In his travels around the world as ambassador for Slow Food, Petrini has witnessed firsthand the many ways that native peoples are feeding themselves without making use of the harmful methods of the industrial complex. He relates the wisdom to be gleaned from local cultures in such varied places as Mongolia, Chiapas, Sri Lanka, and Puglia. Amidst our crisis, it is critical that Americans look for insight from other cultures around the world and begin to build a new and better way of eating in our communities here.

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, Sustainability, Environment, Agriculture, Health, Foodie

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Carlo Petrini, an Italian sociologist, is the founder of the international movement Slow Food (1989).

Reviews

[mtthw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I skimmed some of the other reviews to see what other people are saying and there is lots of “too idealistic” and “too pretentious” whining. I approached this as an academic book, not a lazing about on Sunday afternoon reading. And while it is sometimes difficult to plow though and there are some awards turns of phrase (which I’m guess is an ESL thing), the book has some solid concepts.

I personally don’t recommend reading it unless you have serious interest in the Slow Foods community. I don’t recommend this book if you have a chip on your shoulder about not being able to eat right because it’s too expensive, or there is a not Whole Foods near you, you can’t get to the farmer’s market, et cetra.

I do however recommend if you want to a perspective of food production/consumption that is an alternate to Barbara Kingsolver’s chummy-chummy tone and family friendly farming.

[Sarah Street · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conceptually, this book makes much more sense to me and inspires change much more than some of Michael Pollan's stuff, Food, Inc, or even some of the more in-your-face stuff like "Eating Animals." It makes a case for WHY we should want good, clean, and fair food, rather than a case for why our current food system is evil and why we should hate The Man.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The basic concept of this book is that we should all buy locally grown, fresh, seasonal food and cook a few meals from scratch. At times the books seems to demonize modern agriculture and our fast paced society, though Mr. Petrini repeatedly admits that a return to subsistence agriculture could not possibly support the current world population. On page 187: "We do not need the accumulation of wealth, but its redistribution..." It's a bit of a propaganda piece, which didn't necessarily bother me, but be forewarned. Overall it's passionately argued and compelling with regard to the food, but not so much with the whole Socialism thing.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worst. Book. Ever.

Holy moly was this a difficult book to read. Amazing topic, terrible, just terrible execution. The book read like a textbook (so, so dry), the author came across as pretentious and rude (he repeatedly calls people fools and he refers to homeless people as beggars... but then again he calls farmers the "intellectuals of the earth" lol), the book features a ton of self promotion (he kept talking about the initatives he was president of) and it was simply too long. (A whole chapter to describe what you mean by the word "good"? Was this a joke?) The author defines the word gastronomy at least twenty times in the book (not exaggerating).

Other points:

-the constant use of quotation marks and italics drove me crazy. One page alone featured 20 italicized words.
-he begins to describe a scene but first feels the need to write "the reader may attempt to visualize this". Well thanks for telling me that in my mind's eye I can imagine the scene you are about to describe... HA!
-um, this quote: "It is a matter, for gastronomy, though a Cinderella in the world of knowledge, is in fact a true science, which can open eyes".
-for someone so obsessed with gastronomy, I can't believe that he admits not being able to cook!!! Unbelievable.
-on page 243 he refers to a "community of destiny". Wtf?!
-I really wish I had the patience to write out some of the dinsane sentences in this book for your enjoyment, but alas I don't have any more time for this book.

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like it and I like the scholarship and thought he's put into creating a new theory of gastronomy, but I can't shake the feeling that the entire theory is constructed from an elitist, Eurocentric, and, most unfortunately, a perspective that does not consider the consequences of what he is asking. If nations were to adopt this new framework of food production and demand that the food we sell and eat meet the criteria of "good, clean and fair," I don't believe the earth would be able to sustain the millions of people currently existing. Lots of people would have to die in order to have our verdant gardens and slow pace of life back.

Excepting the fact that good, clean and fair food is only available to the very wealthy (a fact which bothers the author as well) this is really not a book about immediate solutions to our food crisis, but rather an unrealistic vision for the future.

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like the book could have been simplified. The book is only 249 pages but it dragged on and on. There was too much "fluff" and unnecessary details and fillers. To see the main point you have to think about it. The book should have been straight to t he point about learning what a gastronome is, and what is considered good, clean, and fair.

Carlo Petrini did open my eyes to food problems around the globe, and he is very knowledgeable about food. He loves being a gastronome and he loves slow food. I still feel like he didn't explain what he wanted to because of all the fillers in here. I did learn things about how the food system is, but I personally think it could have been done in a better way.

[zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw him speak the other night - it was great - a gastronome who doesn't care about the environment is an idiot, and an environmentalist who doesn't like good food is even dumber.

[Caitlinlaurence · Rating 5 out of 5]

ESSENTIAL READING FOR ANYONE WHO EATS FOOD

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Care for your food and care about how it is produced, that is the central theme to this book that aims to show that you are not necessarily a rich gastronome or a hippy to share such values.

Many demands and challenges face modern day food, some valid and some possibly overblown or misunderstood. Whether it be greater demand outstripping supply, genetically-modified organisms, food-borne diseases, industrial farming and climate change, it is clear that mankind cannot necessarily influence nor change everything, yet does it hurt to try? Is it good, on many levels, to go for the lowest-possible denominator in everything just because one can? That could be a short-term, even fatal mistake as well.

This is a fairly heavy-going academically-orientated book that sets out to identify and isolate various issues and seeks to give some suggested solutions along the way, noting that one can eschew the negative effects of industrialisation and mass production, drawing much from many so-called less-developed cultures around the world who have not necessarily bought into "big industry" and are not suffering because of this. At the same time in many so-called developed, civilised societies, many people who do seem to care about the entire chain of what they eat are often viewed as being elitist, extremist or just plain "odd". Whether that is because of ignorance, industry-derived pressure or something else is left to the reader to determine.

Mind you, many people are not even in agreement about what exactly is gastronomy and what being a gastronome entails. To some it is mixed with the term gourmet and many just assume it is a love of "good food". Perhaps one has to accept that an archetypal, dictionary description cannot be used to the exclusion of everyday society's description. In many ways this is a difficult book to review as it is neither a sole dry academic work that examines causes and effects and neither is it a pure consumer book with lightly-digestible chapters and conclusions. A book like this feels like something one should read at leisure and consider the implications. There is no "magic bullet" or slam-dunk solution yet it is a thought-provoking read that may bring many things into focus for the average reader.

The concept of slow food is that the food must be sustainably produced in ways that are sensitive to the environment, those who produce the food must be fairly treated and the food must be healthful and delicious yet things seem more "simply complex" at the same time. It would have been nice if the book's text was a bit of a lighter, clearer read but not at the risk of diluting the overall message and level of detail. A bit of a catch 22. The price of this book means that it is not a big investment for something that is capable of giving you a lot of things to think about and consider.

Slow Food Nation: Why our Food Should be Good, Clean, and Fair, written by Carlo Petrini and published by Rizzoli Ex Libris. ISBN 9780847841301, 272 pages. Typical price: USD16. YYYY.


// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I finally got to read a list of proposed actions to take regarding agro-activism. Petrini started the Slow Foods movement in 1989 in Rome. He tells great stories, as you can tell from his Diary entries in this book. He also has a semi unique perspective regarding food since he ran Terra Madre, has visited many many farms and parts of the country with unique food histories.

I was able to put another book on my list, think about how to proceed with my fascination of food over high technology now-a-days, and think of ideas on how to use technology to improve local food networks around the world (unlike Monsanto...more like BiRight).

If you're a foodie, or you care about what you eat, this book should help you get get you started in the right place regarding thinking about food as a gastronome rather than a glutton or dieter. This book will also help you figure out how to be more active in the communities around you regarding food. Food is a local thing, so talk to your neighbors about it.

[BookBec · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ow. I like the ideas of the Slow Food movement and their Ark of Taste, but this book was a painful slog to read. Here's a sentence for you to enjoy:

"This dialectical capacity, which can carry out a fruitful task of conservation and enable different forms of knowledge to meet on equal terms in dignity and authoritativeness, must start from a profound cultural change, from an epistemological shift, from a different approach to knowledge."

Also, the author has a bothersome habit of referring to examples that he hasn't given yet. He even gives you the page numbers where he's going to talk about them later, but then he continues to include these future examples in his current arguments, as though you'll magically understand what he's talking about.

Can it be read? Yes. Is it enjoyable to read? Not so much.
Just go shop at the farmers market, cook and eat a good meal, and skip this book.

[kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am plugging through this one and can’t guarantee I will finish it. Though I think Carlo Petrini is right on with his philosophy, this book reads like an academic text and contains too many abstract ideas and not enough real life examples. The best parts of this book are the diary entries, in which he tells stories about his experiences with food around the world that clearly make a case for “slow food”. We would all benefit from more slowness in our daily lives, he thinks (and I do too). He does describe some new policy ideas, but overall, it didn’t really add to what I already know from previous reading. (Did I mention you should read Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food?!) Petrini’s heart is clearly in the right place, but I didn’t think this book made compelling reading.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book if you have enough time to spend foraging for those prized local products and cooking them in your well-stocked kitchen. A bit verbose and elitist, but he's got the right idea - buy local and buy in season for best value and best taste. I learned this concept on my first day of cooking school, so it's hardly a revelation.

If anything, this book points out the disparity that exists within the United States. The people who have the luxury of reading this book probably already have an idea of where their local Farmer's Market(s) are while the ones who would benefit most from it lack the time (and possibly funds) to change their ways. It's easier, faster and cheaper to feed a family a meal of processed fast food. My 2¢...

[Kimm]

Some paths are converging for me in the place that reads "what I want to do next". I studied Food Science at Cal Poly, McGill Univ. and UC Berkeley only to abandon it in disgust (food is not about shelf life, corporate profit and frogs do not need to be guillotined for students to know their skin changes color when they are scared sh*tless) for English Literature.

I never stopped loving the miracle of food though and have continued to study - mostly non-Western - approaches to raising food and eating it. Slow Food comes out of Italy but there are chapters all over the world. I'm wading in to find out what it's all about. In the meantime - I've got my eye on a local CSA and my vegees this week came from organic farmers right here in my community. I'm heading towards an inner flame.

[Randi · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I agree 100 percent with every tenet Petrini offers about what food should be (good, clean, and fair, and his detailed philosophies on all three), I just don't think his goals for transforming the food industry are realistic. The fact is this: Until petrol prices rise enough in the country, Americans will be completely satisfied with buying tomatoes in the dead of winter, trucked from across the country, even if they're not in season and taste bland. It's terribly sad, but reality. Petrini's ideas of slow food work much better in Europe (where gas prices are considerably higher). How I wish things were different here! However, I will do my part (as I build my food philosophy) to never, ever buy a tomato in winter and support local farmers.

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Petrini is obviously a very intelligent, thoughtful person who is very humane and driven to improve the quality of life for people worldwide. I believe this book was intended to be a manifesto for Slow Food and so is written in academic style. The writing becomes dry and dense at times (I felt like I was back in grad school reading research studies at times while reading this!), but his diary entries make the concepts easier to understand. I am a big supporter of Slow Food, so I felt a need to complete this Slow Food manifesto but this is not a easy lazy afternoon read. This is a book that will likely be quoted as the Slow Food movement progresses, so it's a good read to have done for future reference.

[Katina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been interested by the Slow Food movement for a long time. I suspected it to be elitist and snobby. The actual movement may have its share of snobs, but the theories and principles are far less uppity than I expected. This book explains why it is important to be a "gastronome" and centers on explaining why food should be "good, clean, and fair." Other books I've read don't usually pay any attention to the "fair" part, and I appreciated that theme. The writing was overly dry and a little academic at times, but I enjoyed the anecdotes and the (pardon the pun) ample food for thought this book offered.

[M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Целта е една: да се подобри, в конкретни измерения, качеството на живот на всички ни, без да търпим модел на развитие, несъвместим с нуждите на планетата.

Знаете ли, няма човек, който да е противник на устойчивостта. Но да променим начина си на живот спрямо нея е нещо съвсем различно. Нещо, което е трудно на индивидуално ниво, пък какво остава за цяла нация.

Идеите, представени в книгата са интересни - гастрономията като уважение към суровините, устойчивост, запазване на традициите, локализация. За съжаление стилът на писане е твърде протяжен и на моменти книгата е трудна за четене.

[taylor cocalis]

although the translation makes the writing seem verbose at times, there are some brilliant messages within the pages:
- gastronomy is not a stomach disease, but rather an important science linked to anyone who eats food
- in addition, gastronomy is NOT just cooking. . . rather it is an interdisciplinary science that addresses how food relates to all parts of culture
- a gastronome who is not aware of the environmental implications of his food is stupid, but an environmentalist who is not a gastronome is just sad
- we do not need to deprive ourselves of pleasure

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. (Thank you, Laura!) Petrini correctly identifies the world's food problems. He's got a lot of solutions. He's tough. He's also extremely redundant. I got tired very early on of the use of "he" and "man" when meaning people of no specific gender. And rolled my eyes at one or two paragraphs that similarly seemed to dispute the 2005 copyright. Those things aside, I really enjoyed the book. I'm already planning my travels to meet farmers in every corner of the world!

[Ingrid Keir · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be dry at times as it is a manifesto, and rather scholarly, but it was super helpful to have a book that defines all the buzz words that folks are using nowadays like "biodiversity" and "sustainable." I appreciated his diaries. I also loved the small excerpt about the SF Ferry Building Farmer's Market - it is pretty funny! Overall, this book gives a good overview of why knowing the source of your food is super important, the evils of the world bank organization and the agricultural farming industry.

[David Schwan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book is good, unfortunately it is too long. This could have been an essay and gotten it's point across much better.

Preserving old ways of cooking is good, but that does not negate newer ways of doing things also.

Locally grown is great until you live in places that can't grow food all year round. All of these authors live in places that have a steady supply of locally grown food all year round. If you live in the northern US you will never get fresh vegetables in the winter.

[Romana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gastronomy shouldn't simply be stated as "the art or science of good eating," but rather be a more complex, significant meaning: defending biodiversity;
promoting taste education; and building of local food communities. Petrini thoroughly elaborates on why our food should be good (nutritious and delicious), clean ( sustainably produced using environmentally sensitive methods), and fair (by producers who are justly compensated and treated with dignity). Magnificent read!

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

A manifesto for the Slow Food movement, it took me about halfway through the book to get into it. His diary inclusions are interesting, but the general information so far is not exciting.
I have given up on this book. It couldn't hold my interest, because it was simply to fact-driven and dry, and too opinionated. I like the ideas presented, but drifted away from the book and started reading others before I finished that one, a sure sign that it was time to give up.

[Lisa Wuertz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was really boring and full of words that I had to look up every few minutes. You would read along and there would be a great little tidbit paragraph, but then it was back to the monotony for several pages. I didn't even read the last 50 pages or so because I have better things to do with my time than read a boring food book, especially when there are so many more interesting food books out there. I was really disappointed in this one.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really agree with the concepts of the Slow Food Movement, but I'm afraid this book really doesn't sell it! The tone comes across as simultaneously snobbish and condescending, all the while making relatively obvious points. Maybe it's because I'm already mostly au fait with the things he was talking about, and also because the book is several years old, and therefore its ideas have had longer to defuse. But still, I thought it felt rather unnecessary and boring...

[Barry · Rating 2 out of 5]

This seemed a worthy book, and a pleasantly different angle on the whole food & sustainability thing, but for whatever reason I just couldn't seem to get in step with it and stick with reading it. But it might just be perfect for someone in a different head-space, so don't take the two stars as a critical rating.

[Adrian Werner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book hard to read. Perhaps it is the translation's fault as much as Petrini's. I wanted to learn more about the slow food movement and there were bits and pieces in there that were very informative. However, using "man" instead of "people" and some unbearably long sentences were stumbling blocks for me. It also felt disorganized. I wanted to like it, but I couldn't get there.

[Murf Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another read for everyone. Carlo Petrini awoke something within himself and is now trying to wake everyone else up, and rediscover good, clean, nutritious, food produced, distributed and prepared in a fair, clean way that benefits the whole food chain. Our days of monoculture food items and fast food poison has got to go. Please take the time to check out Slow Food!

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is pretty dry, at times, but overall this is a great book about why agricultural sustainability is important, not just from a environmental point-of-view, but from the point-of-view of culture - and pleasure.