20-01-2016
What is terroir and how is this concept developed? This was the main question of the debate at Care's
So what kind of terroir are you? The question may seem idle, a gourmet version of that wondering about the gender of angels, yet in fact it is not idle at all. Indeed it implies a basic choice: is the conceptual set haphazardly mixing territory, knowledge, genius loci, traditions, history and culture, and which it is luckily possible to summarise in just one word, though taken from French – terroir that is –,mostly referred to the roots or the fruits? In other words, is it conservative or progressive? «Besides, we should no longer use this word, too exploited from marketing departments. In fact, I almost never use it, I prefer “earth”», stressed a brilliant Michel Bras, guest of honour at the debate which, on the second day of Care’s in Val Badia, focused on a critical interpretation of the above mentioned terroir.
The protagonists of the debate at Care's: Fernanda Roggero, Andrea Petrini, Licia Granello, Jock Zonfrillo, Michel Bras, Michele Cannone (Food Service marketing director at Lavazza) and Anderson Ricardo Silva, coffee entrepreneur from Lambarì, Brazil
Terroir should be considered, in other words, as something open and “democratic”, even welcoming, because you don’t acquire it by birth, you don’t inherit it through blood but it can be learnt over time, «you need to live it, breathe it. You need to dive into it, speak with people».
Massimo Bottura and Norbert Niederkofler
Zonfrillo, on top of these two initial terroirs later added the learning of French techniques, and then a further, radically different terroir, the Australian one, where he now works. «I went to the desert seven times, to ask the Aborigines about their culture, in terms of food and more, because I couldn’t believe that a people with so many centuries of history had not developed one. Six times they sent me home. In the end, they finally convinced themselves and told me everything. Today in my kitchens [at Street-ADL and Orana, both in Adelaide] I use over 60 traditional Aboriginal ingredients. Only 10% is made of animal proteins, the rest is vegetables and roots». Hence the rockfish is cooked in intertwined mangrove wood, which adds smoke and salt. Other-worldly terroir.
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journalist born in 1974, for many years he has covered politics, mostly, and food in his free time. Today he does exactly the opposite and this makes him very happy. As soon as he can, he dives into travels and good food. Identità Golose's editor in chief