A trip to Brazil's memorable tastes with Arca do Gosto

Brazil
Information on endangered animals is common in the media. The jaguar, the humpback whale and the collared anteater are among the many species that are in danger of disappearing.
However, the existential fragility of the entire ecosystems is still little discussed.

All the biodiversity of different ecosystems is threatened and, within them, ingredients that are part of secular recipes and permeate the effective memory of different peoples.

The global thinking about this imminent collective risk in several countries has boosted the creation of the international catalogue Arca do Gosto, elaborated by the eco-gastronomic movement Slow Food.
The document is an international record of ingredients, processed products and animal breeds that are in danger.
In order for the registration to be approved by the international committee, the justification needs to be presented in different spheres: historical, anthropological, scientific and cultural.
With its continental dimensions, Brazil is one of the few countries in the world that shelter six biomes – which means a wide variety of species that are at risk of extinction.

To date, a group of researchers, students, chefs and kitchen enthusiasts have been responsible for the registration of 133 products, such as Serra do Salitre cheese, cacao from the south of Bahia, cajuína (clarified juice from Cashew), the pine nut and the Surubim fish.

Unique freshness and sweetness in the format of a juice.
Unique freshness and sweetness in the format of a juice.
The registration of these species in the catalogue increases the exchange of information between countries that find it difficult to preserve the production and consumption of these foods, with difficulties to overcome barriers such as food prejudice, expansion of monocultures that contaminate soils, lack of investments in family agriculture and preservation of traditional knowledge.
This registration enhances a possible record of these ingredients and animal species in the Fortalezas and Food Communities, further steps in the preservation advocated by the Slow Food network.
To access the list of the 3,880 products that integrate the catalogue Arca do Gosto, click here: http://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/

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