By Slow Food International
The 2015 Slow Food Asia Pacific Festival will be held from November 18 to 22 at 2nd Exhibition Hall in KINTEX, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province (South Korea). The event is co-hosted by Slow Food International and Slow Food Korea and has been organized by Design House Inc.
The first edition of the Slow Food Asia Pacific Festival was held in 2013 and involved 44 countries, 164 international delegates and 530,000 visitors. The main theme of the 2013 edition was “Changing the World Through Taste.”
The main theme of the 2015 edition will be “Cool Farmers and Real Tastes” and the event will involve food culture networks from all over the world and more than 150 world-famous food culture leaders.
A large delegation from Slow Food International, led by the movement’s founder and president Carlo Petrini and including over 180 Slow Food producers, exhibitors and conference speakers, will attend the event. They will be arriving from 41 different countries around the world: from six countries in Europe, 31 in Asia, three in Oceania and the United States.
The Italian branch of Slow Food will also participate in the event and will be running a stand offering a sampling of traditional Italian cuisine. A number of well-known Italian companies will also be present at the Slow Food Italy stand, like Alce Nero (organic foods), Cantine Damilano (wines), Lavazza (coffee), Olio Roi (olive oil), Pastificio di Martino (pasta), Prosciutto dall’Ava (San Daniele ham), Riso Gli Aironi (rice) and the University of Gastronomic Sciences, the Albergo dell’Agenzia and the Wine Bank from Pollenzo.
Slow Food Great China and Slow Food Japan will also be participating in the event. Slow Food Japan will be running a stand hosted by Sapporo City of Hokkaido. The event will be attended by Chef Namae, who will talk about how a chef can support the sustainable fishing movement, Chef Tsukada, who will present his indigenous Ainu-influenced fusion food from Hokkaido, and traditional fish sauce producer Mr. Moroi.
Other producers from the Slow Food network, from France, Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lank, among others, will also be exhibiting. The event will be also attended by delegates from Australia, Georgia, Germany, India, Iran, Jordan, Mongolia, Russia, Vietnam and Turkey.
The 2015 Slow Food Asia Pacific Festival’s rich program includes international conferences, Taste Workshops, networking seminars, an Ark of Taste exhibition, several participatory activities and educational experiences (including some designed specifically for children) and a short course from the University of Gastronomic Sciences.
The 2015 Slow Food Asia Pacific Festival gratefully acknowledges funding support from the Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation; the Korea Rural Community Corporation; the Korean Food Foundation; the Gyeonggi 4-H Federation; the Korea Association of Eco Certification Agencies; the Eco Livestock Association; the Korea Environmentally Friendly Fisheries Association; the Agri-Natural Circulation & Organic Foundation Pulmuone and the Real Farm Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock News.
