Eating and Hiking in Alps

Dawn, my college friend and our first visitor, arrived Torino on July 10th. The first meal she tried was our typical lunch and she loved bufala (buffalo) mozzerella cheese and sashimi-like salami. Before we explore other cities together, Syd took us to a small town (Bardonecchia) in the Alps for some hiking and eating! In case you haven't heard it before, Torino area is known for 'Slow-Food Movement'. Obviously it is to fight against Fast-Foods (Sayonara, McDonald's!), however, more importantly, it aims to preserve the cultural cuisine and the associated food plants and seeds, domestic animals, and farming within the local region (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_Food). In other words, the movement promotes preparing cuisines using local and quality ingredients to appreciate their taste and nurition.

The slow-food event consisted 6 courses: Antipasti, Primi, Secondi, Formaggi, Dolci, and Forte Bramafam. The hungry hikers hike 10 -15 minutes to each course to taste a dish accompanied by a choice of 6 - 8 different wines. The best part is that you can go back for seconds! :) Since Dawn doesn't drink wine, we forced her to get a glass at every course anyways... well, you know where the wine went. :p At the end of the hike/ lunch, Syd have tasted 15 wines and 2 liquors!

Picture on left: Entree - cosciotto di maialino cotto nel fieno maggengo con polenta concia (tender pork cooked in hay with polenta)
Picture on right: Formaggi - plates of cheese!













Picture on left: molti molti vini
Picture on right: the result of too much food and wine













Syd is a mountain guy so he really likes Bardonecchia. Well, can't complain much since the weather was cool and the scenery was beautiful. The town apparently hosted events for Winter Olympics 2006. It also looked like a good place for skiing (so you know where we'll go in the winter). But before winter comes, we already plan to revisit in August when Torino heat is supposed to be unbearable (well, I hope it's not as devilish as Taiwan's summer).