What do Tamworth pigs, Bronte pistachios and dulse seaweed have in common?
Answer. They are all listed in Slow Food’s worldwide catalogue of potentially endangered foods, The Ark of Taste, and you have the rare opportunity to learn about and taste them as part of Food Connections on Friday 1 May.
The Ark of Taste was established in 1996 at Slow Food’s first Terra Madre in Turin, Italy. To date there are 2,431 food items listed, all of which are rare small-scale productions that may otherwise become extinct. The Ark was created to draw attention to these products and invite us to protect them. This could be through buying them and supporting the producers, telling their stories or, in some cases, eating less or none of them in order to preserve and protect them.
So what better way to draw attention to these protected heritage foods and the work of Slow Food than to hold an event at Food Connections showcasing them? Eco-chef Tom Hunt and producer of BBC Radio 4’s Food and Farming Awards and The Food Programme Dan Saladino have joined forces to host this special one-off event with the support of the City of Bristol Catering College.
Commenting, Tom Hunt said: “I’ve long been inspired by the systemic work of Slow Food. It’s a grass roots movement that is making real change and becoming increasingly effective. Its work is not so well known in the UK, but deserves to be and I’m really proud to put this event on.”
Four of the world’s greatest chefs have each selected an ingredient from The Ark of Taste to champion and will each cook a course that will make that food shine. While guests dine the food stories will be narrated by Dan Saladino.
Behind the stove are:
Tom Hunt, eco-chef and champion of a ‘nose to tail’ and ‘root to fruit’ approach to cooking and eating. Tom will be cooking with Tamworth pig, the oldest pure English breed, which is characterised by its long snout and red coat. It is also famous for producing both great pork and bacon.
Giorgio Locatelli, renowned Michelin-starred chef and champion of Italian produce, Giorgio will be cooking with Bronte pistachios. These only grow in the hilly land around Bronte in Sicily and have a distinctive bright emerald-green colour and intense fragrance.
Thomasina Miers, ex MasterChef winner and Mexican restaurateur, Thomasina will be making canapés from a selection of Mexican Ark of Taste products. These include the Chicatana ant and queso fresco, a Mexican cheese made from raw milk.
Paula McIntyre, cookery writer and broadcaster, Paula has chosen to champion dulse, a wild seaweed that grows on the North Atlantic coast of Britain. Unfortunately the English coastline is now too polluted to harvest this nourishing vegetable, but it grows in abundance in Scotland and Northern Ireland’s much purer waters.
The event takes place in the purpose-built Orangery on College Green tomorrow night (Friday 1 May), from 7pm and there are still a few last minute tickets left priced at just £40.00 (plus booking fee). Book yours now.
All profits will go to Slow Food’s 10,000 Food Gardens in Africa project.