Eat to live or live to eat? It’s a question as old as time.  

In the seemingly distant past, you ate to live by hunting and foraging in the woods for daily sustenance. However, in these modern times, you can make a few swipes on your phone and food will magically appear at your doorstep. We are indeed living in the digital age of fast food.  

 It seems as time progresses, the food we eat is expected to be faster and more practical. There’s no need to slice the ingredients anymore – you can get them in one simple instant package in the supermarket. Or even quicker, just go to one of the many fast-food chains. No sweat. As long as the tummy—and taste buds—are satisfied. 

 We want them fast. But fast doesn’t always equal healthy. Healthy for us, for the environment, or for the earth. Answering the call for a more mindful approach to food consumption, the Slow Food movement was founded. 

Preserving Indigenous Tradition 

 “Slow food is a reaction against the industrial production of food,” says Silvina Miguel, part of the Slow Food movement in Bali.  

“Processed food is not real food. Real food is medicine. Slow food has its roots in native knowledge, where the people are still connected to the ecosystem. They know what to harvest and they use no chemicals.” 

The Slow Food movement encourages us to be more mindful—and critical—of the food served on our plates. Is it good for you? Is it nutritious? And does it have a good impact on the environment?  

Next, is it clean? Is it grown and cultivated free of chemicals and pesticides that can contaminate your body and the ecosystem?  

Last, is it fair? Meaning that the price of the food is fair for you as a buyer and fair for the farmers who produced the food?  

The Slow Food movement isn’t a new trend. It grew in the late 80s in Italy as a protest when a Mcdonald’s was about to open its doors in Rome.

The movement demands the preservation of their heritage food and ingredients—and we know how proud the Italians are of their cuisine, and rightly so! They hope every country or culture will follow suit so that their local delicacies and indigenous culinary traditions aren’t replaced with fast food. 

Since then, the movement has mushroomed in more than 160 countries where devout followers built groups (called convivium) and communities to help plant the seeds of the Slow Food movement in their region, including Bali, where the Slow Food movement was founded in 2012. Speaking of seeds, that is what Silvina and her slow-foodies team are growing here in Bali.  

Planting the Seeds 

On December 10, as part of the Terra Madre festival that celebrates the anniversary of the Slow Food movement, they launched the Slow Food Community, where their primary mission is the cultivation and preservation of local seeds.  

It is a community led by women farmers, and they held their first gathering in Jembrana involving students from seven schools.  

To course correct our fast-food habit will be challenging, for sure, but change should not be expected to happen overnight. Just like the name of the movement, you can take it slow.

Slowly but surely, be mindful of the food served in front of you. Slowly but surely, choose locally sourced ingredients, follow the seasonality of nature’s bounties, and always remember that, ultimately, food is medicine. 

Silvina quotes the great poet Maya Angelou, which guides her slow life:  

“Do the best you can until you know better. And when you know better, do better.” 

 Food for thought...

Join the Slow Food Movement @slowfoodbali