Slow Food, the podcast

Hosted by Slow Food Youth Network

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100

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Jul 2026

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About the show

Welcome to Slow Food, the podcast! Where we take you on a journey through the beauty of good, clean, and fair food systems. From the coffee in your cup to the cacao in your chocolate, we uncover the stories of the people who make our food possible. Valentina Gritti, a lover of slow food, is your host on this journey. Join us as we walk side-by-side with changemakers around the world who are working towards a more sustainable food system. We’ll also delve into the rich cultural knowledge of indigenous communities, opening our minds to new ways of thinking about food. At Slow Food, we believe that everyone has a story to tell and a lesson to teach. So come along for the ride and discover the power of food to connect us all.

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60 recent

September 1, 2026Episode 1035 min

A day trip to World of Coffee Brussels

What is a coffee cupping? What is the difference between green, washed and fermented coffee? Why does the same coffee taste different in Ethiopia and in Italy? Today I am going to take you back to World Of Coffee in Brussels, one of the most important events around specialty coffee in Europe, which took place last June. I went there to meet with some coffee farmers and roasters from the Slow Food Coffee Coalition, but also to understand more about the world of specialty coffee. For those of you who don’t know it, the Slow Food Coffee Coalition is an international, open, and collaborative network that brings together everyone involved in the coffee supply chain. Of course promoting good, clean and fair coffee. So, grab your coffee cup and follow me to the event! Host & Production: Valentina Gritti Guests: Fitsum Bekere, Cesar Marino, Christian Reyes, Elio Leite, Sandro Bonacchi, Fernando Patiño, Iordanis Chrysafidis and Carlo Cortinovis Music: Leonardo Prieto Find out more about the Slow Food Coffee Coalition here: https://www.slowfood.com/thematic-network/coffee-coalition/ A project by Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN)

July 21, 2026Episode 930 min

You Are What You Stream: How television, cinema and streaming platforms shape food cultures at scale. With Luca Antoniazzi

How do streaming platforms and media shape food cultures at scale? Who controls the narrative of what “good food” looks like? Is media marketing always fair when it comes to sustainable food brands? Today we are going to talk about media, television and streaming platforms with Luca Antioniazzi. Luca is researcher and teacher on audiovisual culture and communication at the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo, Italy. His background ranges from film preservation, to cultural policies, and food documentaries. Are you what you stream or you stream what you are? Let’s discuss this with Luca. Host & production: Valentina Gritti Guest: Luca Antoniazzi Music: Leonardo Prieto Useful links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RtXSon0yMw (Tampopo) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldcayb6kGaQ (La Grande Abbuffata) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQV6CijIzrc (The Bear) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKKCGtoIOVY (Taste of Things) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9TUuZ62xgg (Inglorious Bastards, scene) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBmkI4jlaIo (Goodfellas, scene) Food documentaries: https://www.imdb.com/interest/in0000063/ A project by Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN)

July 7, 2026Episode 836 min

Smell This. How the food industry uses olfactory marketing to shape consumer desire, and why awareness is itself an act of resistance, with Elena Mancioppi.

What does the smell of fresh bread have to do with selling a house? Why does vanilla make things taste sweeter? And when did the food industry start using scent as a tool to shape what we want, before we even take a bite? Today we are diving into something you probably experience every single day without realising it: the invisible world of food smells and how they are used to influence your choices, your emotions, and your appetite. My guest is Elena Mancioppi, a philosopher and researcher at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy, specialising in the aesthetics of smell, olfactory marketing, and the sociopolitical dimensions of food aromas. Her work sits at the crossroads of philosophy, perception, and food politics. And it might just change the way you walk through a supermarket. Are you ready to smell things differently? Host & production: Valentina Gritti Guest: Elena Mancioppi Music: Leonardo Prieto Useful links: Osmospheres, Mimesis International: https://mimesisinternational.com/osmospheres-smell-atmosphere-food-2/ L'Olfattivo, Edizioni ETS: https://www.edizioniets.com/scheda.asp?n=9788846763136 The Senses of Smell: Scents, Odors and Aromatic Spaces, Rivista di Estetica: https://journals.openedition.org/estetica/8190 Osmospheric Dwelling: Smell, Smell, Food, Gender and Atmospheres, Espes: https://zenodo.org/records/7489494 Smell Aesthetics, UNISG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw1yohcLbRQ Towards a Sociopolitical Aesthetics of Smell, Rivista di Estetica: https://journals.openedition.org/estetica/8383?lang=en Atmospheres, Art, and Aesthetics: A Conversation, Espes: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59ac89042994caa10199036a/t/66df1ada3a5b080f32dbd329/1725897434627/ESPES_interview.pdf Omosfere: Estetiche olfattive dell’abitare l’aria, Smell Magazine: https://smellmagazine.it/omosfere-estetiche-olfattive-dellabitare-laria/02/02/2023/ A project by Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN).

May 26, 2026Episode 734 min

How Sweet Is Too Sweet? Sugar as a political and cultural substance with Maddalena Borsato.

When did sweet become too sweet? How does sugar reflect a collective craving? And what does this reveal about contemporary food society? Today we are going to immerse ourselves into an indulgent discussion. We will speculate with philosopher and researcher Maddalena Borsato about how sweetness is shaping our society and what sugar and the need for something sweet actually means to us. Maddalena is a researcher in the field of philosophy and aesthetics at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy. At the same time she has attended pastry school and she runs a blog called Aristotele , where she raises philosophical questions starting from a sweet recipe. Are you already craving something sweet? Because I do! So let’s start our discussion with Maddalena. Host: Valentina Gritti Guest: Maddalena Borsato Production: Klets.media A project by Slow Food Youth Network

May 1, 2026Episode 631 min

How is the EU dealing with Food Waste? With Zoe Caramitsou-Tzira

How is the issue of food waste seen from an EU perspective? How does the legislative work impact member states and consumers? What are tricks on how to reduce food waste at home? Today we talk about food waste reduction. In fact last weekend Slow Food Youth Network celebrated the 10th anniversary of World Disco Soup Day, our biggest campaign to raise awareness on the importance of food waste reduction. You can see more details on the campaign on the Slow Food Youth Network social media. Thousands of activists from restaurants to communities have joined World Disco Soup Day, But policy makers also have a key role in food waste reduction. This is why we had a conversation with Zoe Caramitsou-Tzira, with a focus on how this issue is tackled by the European Union. Zoe is policy officer at DG Health and Food Safety, and her role in particular is to look at Food Waste, and Food Information to Consumers from the European Commission. Host and production: Valentina Gritti Guest: Zoe Caramitsou-Tzira (policy officer at DG Health and Food Safety) Useful links: EU platform on Food Losses and Waste: https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety/food-waste/eu-actions-against-food-waste/eu-platform-food-losses-and-food-waste_en EU Hub: https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/food_waste/eu-food-loss-waste-prevention-hub/about Toolkit to reduce consumer food waste: https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/bioeconomy/reduce-food-waste_en Activities around the international day: https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety/food-waste/international-day-awareness-food-loss-and-waste_en A project by Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN)

April 7, 2026Episode 531 min

Cities that grow: framing the urban future with AI, art and nature

How can we combine science, art and technology to build a more sustainable food system? How can artificial intelligence be used in this process? Is art threatened by AI or can technology be used as a tool to achieve something out of the ordinary? The episode of today is mind-blowing. I have interviewed a lot of activists in the past and seen so many initiatives, but if I can be totally open to you: this time I experienced something completely out of the ordinary. I am talking about Hungry Eco-Cities. Hungry Eco-cities combine science, technology, and the arts, to explore how digital technologies & applications can lead in turn to reduced food waste, more sustainable value chains, eco-friendly attitudes, and more ethical food consumption. I had the chance to interview in person in Rotterdam Lija Groenewoud van Vliet, Creative Director at In4Art and co-coördinator Hungry EcoCities, as well as some of the artists involved in the project. Host & Production: Valentina Gritti Guests: Lija Groenewoud van Vliet (in4art), Laila Snevere (Phygital Seasoning), Jeroen Van Der Most (Vegetable Vendetta), Nicolas Rotta and InstaGreen (Re-Source Society) Useful links: - Hungry Ecocities: https://starts.eu/hungryecocities/ - HEClab platform: https://heclab.eu/landing-page This episode is part of the podcast series "Tomorrow's Table: rethinking food as we know it" co-produced by Slow Food Youth Network and ICONS for the EU-funded CLEVERFOOD project.

March 24, 2026Episode 433 min

From influencers to AI: food in the age of algorithms

What is a practical way to implement artificial intelligence in food? Which content and engagement strategy is effective for social media algorithms? How can we avoid that all the information we receive becomes overwhelming? Today we talk about food and algorithms, with Massimiliano Carraro (from Behavix) and two sustainable lifestyle influencers: Daria, from @DariaAlNaturale_, and Shannen from @_greengal. We will look into how artificial intelligence and algorithms can be used in the fields of food waste reduction, but also in content creation and engagement. This podcast is part of the series “Tomorrow’s Table, Rethinking Food As We Know It”, which weaves together the experiences and insights of projects and living labs within the FOOD 2030 Network launched by Cleverfood. Cleverfood is a European project aimed at fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and systemic change in the food sector. Behavix is also part of the FOOD 2030 Network. Host & post-production: Valentina Gritti Co-host: Lisa Grosjean (Beinfluence) Guests: Massimiliano Carraro ( Behavix ), Daria Falcone ( @dariaalnaturale_ ), Shannen Haley ( @_greengal ). This episode is part of the podcast series "Tomorrow's Table: rethinking food as we know it" co-produced by Slow Food Youth Network and ICONS for the EU-funded CLEVERFOOD project.

March 10, 2026Episode 338 min

Together is better: an innovation hub in Berlin to redesign the food environment

Today we are meeting two super inspiring women: Lia Carlucci (founder and CEO of the Food Campus Berlin) and Janka Alwon, influencer and food blogger, also Known as Jankalicious. This podcast is part of the series “Tomorrow’s Table, Rethinking Food As We Know It”, which weaves together the experiences and insights of projects and living labs within the FOOD 2030 Network launched by Cleverfood. Cleverfood is a European project aimed at fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and systemic change in the food sector. Food Campus Berlin is also part of the FOOD 2030 Network. Host & producer: Valentina Gritti Guests: Lia Carlucci (Food Campus Berlin) and Janka Alwon (@jankalicious_) Music: Leonardo Prieto More about Food Campus Berlin: https://www.foodcampus.berlin/?lang=en Planetary Health Diet: https://eatforum.org/eat-lancet/the-planetary-health-diet/ Janka's blog: https://www.jankas.blog/ and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jankalicious_/?hl=en This episode is part of the podcast series "Tomorrow's Table: rethinking food as we know it" co-produced by Slow Food Youth Network and ICONS for the EU-funded CLEVERFOOD project.

February 24, 2026Episode 235 min

Why should we ferment plant-based foods? A deep-dive into food chemistry.

Can fermentation improve plant-based foods? What happens during fermentation from a food chemistry perspective? What are concrete health benefits of eating fermented foods? Today I am at the faculty of bioengineering in Leuven, Belgium, to interview professor and researcher Christophe Courtin. Christophe knows everything about the chemistry of fermentation. He has been researching fermented cereals for 15 years and he is now coordinating the project HealthFerm (we will tell you more about this in the course of the episode). Helthferm is part of the FOOD 2030 network, under the CLEVERFOOD project. From farmers and chefs to activists and everyday eaters, CLEVERFOOD is about bringing everyone into the conversation on building a fairer, healthier and more sustainable food system for the future. Host: Valentina Gritti Guest: Christophe Courtin Links: The link to the first paper on the HealthFerm Citizen Science project: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41538-026-00725-7 The link to the HealthFerm website: www.healthferm.eu This episode is part of the podcast series "Tomorrow's Table: rethinking food as we know it" co-produced by Slow Food Youth Network and ICONS for the EU-funded CLEVERFOOD project. Post-production: Klets.media

January 23, 2026Episode 134 min

Building a nomadic gardening community with Andrew Valenti

Have you ever had a “WOW moment” while being in nature? What is the first step you can take to get connected to your local food scene? Can everyone start gardening? Today we kick off the year with a great conversation with Andrew Valenti ( @andrewvalenti.av ): regenerative gardener, artist, musician, and world traveler. We are going to talk about how Andrew managed to build a home gardeners community around him, but we will also touch upon the spiritual connection with nature and add some practical tips on how to start gardening yourself. Ready to get inspired? Host and producer: Valentina Gritti Guest: Andrew Valenti Music: Leonardo Prieto Listen to the new podcast show of Andrew: Gardens of Earthly Delight Find more tips on how to start gardening on Slow Food, The Podcast past episode " Green thumbs: from school gardens to your own balcony! With the Frenchie Gardener " Find out more about the Slow Food Farms on https://www.slowfood.com/slow-food-farms/ A project by Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN)