Food: "Cheese" on the way, in Piedmont products from 50 countries
Turin - All sorts of different cheeses, producers, farmers and affineurs, experts, buyers and enthusiasts from over 50 countries across the world come together for "Cheese", the international event dedicated to the world of high-quality milk and cheese products. This year, it celebrates its 20th anniversary, between 15 and 18 September, with a special edition in Bra, in the province of Cuneo. Every two years, the event, organized by Slow Food and the City of Bra, attracts more than 270,000 people. This year, visitors will find a 9000-square meter exhibition area, and 350 exhibitors. The state of raw milk in which Slow Food groups all those producers who continue to make cheese with non-pasteurized milk, complying with all applicable hygiene regulations is the essence of this year's edition. It isn't a trade fair says the president of Slow Food, Carlin Petrini but the largest international event dedicated to cheese, where biodiversity takes center stage. What we have here is an extraordinary heritage: the producers that come to Bra from all over the world obey to a different food economy, which doesn't destroy nature and doesn't focus on the interests of few but on the distribution of wealth to larger circles and the protection of enogastronomic heritage. Natural cheeses produced without using industrial enzymes will also be under the spotlight and will be presented in an area called Spazio Libero (Free Space), where everything is 100% natural, together with beers, nitrite- and nitrate-free cured meats and bread made with mother yeast. Among the foreign countries, focus will be on the United States, where by law raw milk cheese must be aged for at least 60 days and where, in 2007, Slow Food started the historic Presidium of American raw milk cheeses. As usual, the event attracts affineurs from all over the world and the Slow Food Presidia, rare products that represent a huge heritage of pastures, breeds, milk types and knowledge that must be protected. One of this year's innovations is the business area for Cheese exhibitors, already experimented at "Terra Madre Salone del Gusto", sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Turin and by the University of Gastronomic Sciences, where international buyers, agents of small and large distribution chains, cheese producers, hosts, chefs and start-ups, all can register. Additionally, between Bra and Pollenzo, there are more than 40 Taste Labs where new foods and drinks can be tasted and lots can be learned on their history and characteristics, thanks to the presence of those who produce them. The Agency in Pollenzo hosts two of the most anticipated Slow Food events: "Appuntamenti a Tavola (Table Dates)", dinners with great Italian and international chefs, and the two "Scuola di Cucina (Cooking School)" events. "What we see at Cheese says Slow Food president Gaetano Pascale makes us hope we will be able to build an economy focused on sustainability and especially on people's wellbeing, even in difficult areas. We want to highlight the experiences of those who refuse to take the shortcuts that modern lifestyle too often encourages, and who stand their ground and continue to produce cheeses and foods that respect nature, tradition and taste".