The strength of freedom: the journey

The strength of freedom, the main theme in the 2016 edition of Identità Golose, has in itself such energy, and such powerful meaning, that the echo of this particularly successful edition has not yet faded. It’s similar to what happened in 2011 with the Luxury of simplicity. Seems like yesterday, yet five years have already gone by and the concept is still current.

The same applies to the strength that spurs from freedom of thought, from which everyone should feed, starting from cooks, chefs and pastry chefs. The freedom of going beyond the usual models and test something new, assessing the goodness of a new recipe. This has always been the case. Even what today is tradition, was once innovation. To understand this, it would be enough to think about the infinite versions of an ancient recipe, about how a same name can be an umbrella protecting more or less significant variations. It’s almost impossible to find two identical interpretations of a sauce for pasta, the filling for ravioli or tortelli, the dough for a cake in two neighbouring towns.

What is considered essential in a specific place, is unnecessary a few kilometres away. This is freedom. Of thought and action. Unfortunately this often translates into intolerance. It happens when, instead of discussing the reason why some prefer wine to vinegar in a fish soup, or cheese in a herb pie that others prefer without, people end up believing there’s just one authentic recipe, their own. All the others are mediocre. People follow their heart and tradition, putting mind and palate aside. Instead, we should alternate memories with curiosity, taste with brain.

When people speak in absolute terms and truths that are often full of stereotypes, they close themselves off more and more. We should instead never stop travelling, discussing, being enriched by the diversity that we most enjoyed and make it our own, without any obligation. Freedom of thought is essential, like the freedom to move, travel, a gift that is now severely questioned by the events of this decade, by the widespread intolerance, by wars and terrorism, by the ever lower desire to understand others, exasperated and horrified by the crazy violence that almost every time affects the population.

Choosing The journey as the 2017 Identità theme serves to reaffirm that all that we eat, as soon as we leave the slavery of poverty that forces us to put into the stomach what’s available, is the result of journeys. Just think of the consequences of Colombo’s, Vespucci’s, Cortes’s explorations and America, salt and coffee, the roads to Asia, the salt and spice roads. Everything travels, it’s always been the case. Men travel, products travel, tomatoes, beans, turkeys... Seeds and pollen travel thanks to the wind and the waves. And in our days, even unaware tourists travel. Ideas travel. Tiramisu has invaded the world and we were invaded by sushi... This utmost expression of freedom must be preserved.

And it will also be very interesting to see how ingredients and ideas that are traditional of a country, are considered creative on the other side of the planet.