The European Food Summit has taken its place as one of Europe’s most important gastronomy-oriented events. The event, in its second edition took place in Ljubljana in November. It was not just a forum for discussion offering delightful food for thought but also served to showcase some of the country’s most notable places also offering delightful food for thought.
“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart”. Saint-Exupéry’s inspirational quote from “Le Petit Prince” was the first thing to read on the “reincarnation” menu of Hiša Franko, in picturesque Kobarid, helmed by Ana Roš. This was the location of a warm welcome on our first day in Slovenia, at the flagship restaurant of the country which is fast becoming the ‘green star’ of the culinary world.
Chef Ana Ros is a champion of sustainability, and as Slovenia’s leading chef and the one most internationally recognised, she has helped to pave the way for young Slovenian chefs to follow.
This remarkable woman has spent more than two decades researching and has revolutionised her country’s cuisine and with hard work has gained not just prominence and recognition but also respect.
Her kitchen is a symbiosis of territory, season, and her personality, and all these elements have come together to gradually lead her to a path to stardom and the beginning of a new era.
Try to forget phones and interruptions during your meal at Hiša Franko, it’s the only way to get the full image of her culinary approach. Do it, it’s a sign of respect to their work, they deserve it.
Slovenia was the “European Region of Gastronomy 2021” and is often described as “Europe in miniature”, because it is a small country but has a lot to offer on so many different levels. It might sound cliché but its charming capital gets under your skin with the stunning baroque and Viennese buildings and of course the castle that seems to be coming straight out of a fairy tale.
But you can also find tourist and excursion farms where you will be served diversity at its best in homemade dishes made from local ingredients and a unique landscape.
During the “European Food Summit”, a number of producers, scientists, chefs, journalists and people from the cultural sphere gathered to discuss issues that take into account the local and global food scene.
The speeches were mind-blowing opening up interesting topics about the future of food. Organizer Martin Jezeršek, Ana Roš and curator Andrea Petrini were multiple times on stage participating in the motivational talks.
Beti Vidmar, a Slovenian microbiologist, during her talk “Feed the microbes to feed your cow” analyzed the essential role of microbes in every aspect of our lives and of course, the food industry, setting the example of how the cows’ digestive system works.” She explained the improvements that could be made to improve the quality of the meat and milk produced while at the same time have healthier and happier cows that produce less methane emissions. “We have to unite our pleasure for food with responsibility and sustainability in harmony with nature,” said Vildmar.
“Making Local a mindset”, was the main theme of Rebecca Clopath’s speech. She is chef and owner of a farm and restaurant in Graubünden, a Swiss Alpes’ well kept “secret”. “We want to bring the Alpes on a plate, to work with the history of the region using only seasonal ingredients from the Alpine area. That’s our goal”, Rebecca added pointing out that she cooks only outdoors, sustainable, local, seasonal food. And that’s an easy thing to do, especially in remote destinations, and as she mentioned, they even don’t use pepper.
Jeanne Dumas Chalifour and Matteo Monterumisi, a French-Canadian-Italian couple who live in the high hills of Soca Valley, were a true inspiration and honestly, I wish they had much more time to share their experiences as farmers growing high-quality production of biodynamic fruits and vegetables at an altitude of 900 meters. Ana Ros loves them. They really have a lot of interesting stories to share. “We are trying to understand what the nature wants and not what the market wants”, said Jeanne.
Chefs René Redzepi and Angél León couldn’t be present so they shared some thoughts about their work via live streaming. I loved the perspective of French art theorist and curator Nicolas Bourriaud who presented “The Contemporary Palate. Aesthetic Patterns in Today’s Cuisine”, explaining the relation of art to food.
Andraž Tuš, CEO of Slovenian grocery chain Tuš, spoke about their collaboration with Ana Roš, which started during the pandemic in order to help the producers to make good use of their excess produce.
During our visit for the symposium “European Food Summit”, we did some great sightseeing, had a taste of contemporary dishes with lovely wines in several museums and galleries across the city, experienced the “soul” of the chefs in different restaurants across Ljubljana and after the Symposium, the Grande finale was written at the “Experience Dinner” held at “Gallery Cukrarna”. Before the dinner, all dishes of our seven-course menu were exhibited as modern artworks. What a way to experience a country’s food philosophy.
The menu was formed by seven of Slovenia’s Michelin-starred restaurants: “Hiša Franko”, “Hiša Denk”, “Atelje”, “Grič”, “Gostilna Pri Lojzetu”, “Dam” and “Vila Podvin”. The music was selected by the chefs in a crossover of fine dining and rocking beats. Slovenians rock, that’s for sure.
Eleftheria Vasiliadi is a food and travel writer and culinary photojournalist based in Athens, Greece and owner of food and travel blog, Gastronomyindicator.com.gr
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