The view of the Gulf of Naples, with Mount Vesuvius silhouetted against the sky, is instantly recognizable. Despite the very touristic peri-urban area of the Naples metropolis, agriculture is thriving, still producing famed edible wonders, the gustative hallmarks of Neapolitan cuisine.
Glenn Viel lives life intensely. This intensity is expressed in streamlined, minimalist dishes with powerful, persistent tastes. His life is a race against the clock, and on that race he is accompanied by a Fifty Fathoms diver’s watch from the prestigious master watchmaker Blancpain.
Julien Dumas, the new chef of the Saint James in Paris, tells us about a cheese that he enjoyed as a child, Persillé de Tignes. This excellent product represents the commitment required from chefs everywhere to protect the environment and its biodiversity.
Kumatiya, a small, spiny tree typical of Rajasthan, has a great deal of appeal. In addition to being a part of the territory’s traditional agroforestry system and a source of complementary revenue with its gum arabic, it also offers a gratifying gourmet treat: its seeds.
The Gravenstein apple is a symbol of the Sonoma County community. Brought here by Russian trappers in the early 19th century, it has provided food and drink for the locals for many years. Today its orchards are threatened by the success of the region’s vineyards.
“Black chicken, authentic chicken.” This Tuscan saying expresses just how firmly rooted pollo nero del Valdarno truly is here. As part of the Food for Change campaign by Slow Food, we set out to encounter this passenger aboard the Ark of Taste.
In the face of industrial agriculture and standardized diets, we need a Noah’s Ark of foods. One that protects the foods that make our cuisine so special: the ingredients that express the talents of our region. A treasure to carry forward for the future of our tastebuds and our countrysides.
Europe’s seabass stocks are being hit hard by unsustainable fishing practices. If, we hope to continue eating this fish, we must no longer buy it during its spawning period. Relais & Châteaux chefs are taking the lead on this initiative by avoiding seabass in their menus in February and March.
China, the USA, Australia... even Brazil: many of the world’s countries have banned electric pulse fishing. Europe did too, but is subject to derogations for commercial purposes. Relais & Châteaux is committed to working with the Bloom association to ban it permanently in Europe.