Story: Marina Gordon

Food in America is changing — it’s slowing down. The Slow Food movement takes its name from an organization that was founded in Europe in late 1980s as a response to the encroachment of American-style fast food. Its mission is “to create a robust, active movement that protects taste, culture and the environment as universal social values.” Just in the past five years, the Slow Food organization has grown from a dozen or so local chapters (called “convivia”) to more than 140 nationwide. At restaurants and markets across the country, such terms as “artisanal,” “seasonal,” and “sustainable” have become common, even trendy.