Shillong, Oct 23: Indigenous Terra Madre 2023 is the first event to put not only Slow Food Indigenous cooks around Taiwan in the spotlight, but also Taiwanese Indigenous farmers, Indigenous tourism organizations and local producers.
“After Terra Madre Salone del Gusto in Turin in Italy, we felt the need to organize an event here in Taiwan to help indigenous communities to meet and exchange their experiences, daily problems and find common solutions together”, explains Kung-Lien Xu.
Representative of the Slow Food network in Taiwan and member of the Amis tribe. “Moreover we would like to show the extraordinary indigenous culinary culture and strengthen the Asian and Pacific Indigenous peoples’ network”.
In addition to local communities such as the Slow Food Taitung Community, Miaoli Slow Fish, the Hualien Taiwan Biodiversity Conservation Organization, and the Taiwan Indigenous Peoples’ Slow Food Cooks’ Alliance, international Slow Food communities and chefs from USA, South Korea, Thailand, and India have also been invited.
The event, held at the Hualien Indigenous Wild Vegetable Center, will host international forums, taste workshops, and a market where visitors can find local Taiwanese products and learn their stories.
“We are very proud to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between Slow Food and the Hualien County Government during Indigenous Terra Madre in Taiwan. It will lay the foundation for a solid cooperation to protect and promote their local traditional food heritage, said Luis Francisco Prieto, Slow Food’s Focal Point for Indigenous Peoples and Afrodescendant communities.
“We hope that this relationship will contribute to enhancing local economies, and creating sustainable, good, clean, and fair opportunities for the youth. The local Slow Food network has been working tirelessly for this and we are confident that this MoU will contribute to it, by protecting local biodiversity and the environment through the self-determination of the local communities.”
Hualien County Magistrate, Hsu Chen-Wei, expressed delight that this is the third time that Hualien is hosting an international Slow Food event. Hualien has a diverse Indigenous culinary culture that considers every ingredient a blessing, and by adopting the culinary traditions and principles of Slow Food, Hualien continues to create dishes that amaze the international community.
