When Slowlane joined Slow Food recently they sent a booklet outlining their various initiatives, The Slow Food Companion. Two ventures that sounded particularly interesting were the University of Gastronomic Sciences (UNISG) and Terra Madre. The university is based in Piedmont and claims to be the first academic institution in the world dedicated to the study of gastronomy. Subjects include Botany, Food Technology, History of Agriculture, Sensory Analysis and Anthropology. The curriculum combines humanities and sciences with food technology and culture.
An article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald about a local man who is studying at the UNISG — he is living a simple life in the local village, going to the market three times a week and practising what they are learning by cooking for fellow students in the evening. Also mentioned was Terra Madre, an annual Slow Food gathering in Turin that brings together thousands of artisanal food producers, farmers, fishermen from 150 countries, cooks, academics from over 200 universities, representatives of NGOs, journalists and of course slow foodies of other descriptions. Sounds amazing.