Slow Food Still Popular in Italy

According to a recent survey by La Republica, an Italian newspaper, the majority of Italians still linger over a meal and 75% of Italians continue to enjoy a full meal once a day. What's a full meal consist of? Find out in Eating Out in Italy. The Slow Food movement was founded in Italy to preserve traditional Italian meal habits. Europe for Visitors has more about the Slow Food Movement.

If you enjoy good food, you'll want to seek out a local food festival, sagra, while traveling in Italy. At the festivals, you'll be able to sample good local food at very reasonable prices and there is often free music, too. Food festivals are especially popular during summer and fall but there are some in spring, too. Artichoke and white asparagus are celebrated in April and in Marotta di Mondolfo in the Marche region, you'll find the Sagra dei garogoj (dialect for a local fish cooked by fishermen on the beach using a traditional recipe) the last week of April. Bassano del Grappa, near Verona, celebrates their famous white asparagus with a series of free concerts and events, April 27-May 7.