KM 0
Founded by Carlo Petrini back in 1986, the international Slow Food movement upholds the use and consumption of good, clean and sustainable produce, pitting itself against both massive fast food chains and the hectic, unhealthy lifestyles that so many fall prey to.
In collaboration with Terra Madre España, the Catalan arm of the association is soon to announce the newest members of km 0, a collection of culinary professionals or businesses that favor local products, forgo genetically modified foods and take measures to protect the environment. The aim of this commendable project is to support local businesses by cutting out the middleman, instead buying ingredients directly from farms less than 100 km away to create healthy, high-quality dishes.
Km 0 currently includes over 70 chefs or restaurants around Spain, with more than 20 based in Catalunya. The Barcelona branch of Slow Food has recently released a guide to its km 0 members around the region, compiled by president Rosa Solà Maset. This bilingual Catalan-English handbook serves as an excellent guide to contemporary Catalan cuisine but equally as a travel guide, depicting a culinary journey out of Barcelona, up to coast towards Girona, through the Pyrenees and beyond.
Slow Food is now ready to add the next batch of restaurants to their km 0 listings, with an awards ceremony due to take place on March 5th. The ceremony is a fairly prestigious affair, involving some of Europe’s most prestigious chefs: last year’s certificates, for example, were awarded by Ferran Adrià of the world-famous and now defunct El Bulli, and will this year be delivered by Pep Palau, director of the Fòrum Gastronòmic de Girona. Priced at €15, the guide is available to buy from Pol·len Edicions in both print and digital editions. Bon profit.
