salone del gusto 2012 – {food trip torino}

Slow Food’s Salone del Gusto is one of the major events of the food world. It takes place in Torino every two years and brings together over 900 food producers from 130 countries. During this amazing, delicious four-day event it’s possible to taste, learn about and buy foods not just from all over Italy, but from all over the world.

As incredibly delicious as this extravaganza is, it can also be a bit overwhelming. The fair covers over 65,000 square meters and includes over 300 workshops, dinners, tastings and conferences to choose from.

But don’t worry: I’m an expert. I’ve been attending the Salone since it was first held in 1996. I know exactly how to reserve the best workshops, how to head straight for the best producers and how and when to visit Salone to best avoid the crowds. 

Would you like to join me this year? Here’s just some of the things we’ll be doing:

• Visit the Mercato of the Salone on Thursday and Friday, before the crowds arrive. This is where we will visit the best of the 900 producers who will be displaying their products. We’ll taste and learn, as well as buy. Many of these products are part of the Slow Food Presidio and recognized as elements of our cultural heritage.
• Attend a Workshop, where we will participate in a guided tasting of a specific product (Cheese, cured meats, or wine most likely)
• Attend a Theatre of Taste, where we will watch a well known chef prepare his specialities, and then enjoy them while he/she explains his techniques
• Walk through the Street Food section of the Salone, sampling street food from all over Italy
• Visit the Enoteca, where we can sample wines from all over the world
• Enjoy two Dinners at two of Torino’s best restaurants

This is an exciting year for the Salone, since Terra Madre will be held for the first time as part of the Salone. Terra Madre is the network of food communities, academics, cooks and young people from 150 countries who have met in Turino since 2004. Terra Madre is an incredible opportunity to meet with the people who produce our food. The combination of the Salone and Terra Madre unites the pleasure of taste with the responsibility and respect for those who produce it and for the environment. We will get a chance to meet with producers from all over the world – discovering the stories of the men and women who grow, farm and process food products sustainably around the world, and learn about the places and traditions these foods are tied to.

The Salone is fun, but huge. To get the full experience we will be spending two days at the Salone, on Thursday and Friday before the weekend crowds arrive. It is a lot of eating (of course!) but also a LOT of walking around. In other words, be prepared to see, do and eat quite a bit.

I’ll also be putting together an itinerary of other things to do and see in Torino, although we won’t have time to do this together. If you’ve never been to Torino before, I suggest that you stay an extra night, and spend Saturday in town, seeing the sights.

Want to know how much fun the Salone is? Read my reports from the last one:

Salone del Gusto
Thursday at the Salone del Gusto
Buying Beans at the Salone del Gusto
Hanging Tomatoes at the Salone del Gusto
Street Food at the Salone del Gusto
Farinata at the Salone del Gusto

The Salone takes place in Torino October 25-29. I’ll only be taking a very small group around, on October 25-26, so if you are interested in joining me, send me an email and I’ll let you know the details and how to reserve your place.

















The Salone takes place in Torino October 25-29. I’ll only be taking a very small group around, on October 25-26, so if you are interested in joining me, send me an email and I’ll let you know the details and how to reserve your place.