Saffron workshop at Salone del Gusto, Slow Food, Torino

I did manage to get into a Saffron workshop at Salone del Gusto, the Slow Food extravaganza .

The beautiful blue flowers, with such special stamens, the most expensive "food"in the world. What patience is needed. And they are now grown in Sardegna. Wippee!

Slow Food Salone del Gusto, Torino

We visited the huge Salone del Gusto in Torino on Saturday.... the bi-annual main event of the Slow Food movement, celebrating the food we eat and the growers that grow it and make it.

The exhivition building is always absolutely chock-a-block with thousands of interested people looking, tasting, learning. Generally enjoying themselves. A coupon frm the newspaper got me a free lunch. Also a great cheese tasting... I'm still trying to find the actual name of the best runny cheese I've ever tasted. I was too late to book a workshop or formal tasting, but a generous man at the table offered me a large spoonful of his.

Truffle hunting

Truffle hunting season is October and November in Piemonte. This links with the Truffle festival in Alba, and the truffle hunters are very busy, with the prized WHITE truffles. Make sure you find a REAL truffle hunter, and a REAL trained dog... woods are all around, many in the special Langhe area of the Region.

Here's Micchi, a beautiful fully trained truffle hunter. The dog, that is!