The Ark of Taste is an international catalogue of endangered
heritage foods which is maintained by the global
Slow Food movement. The Ark is designed to preserve at-risk foods that are
sustainably produced, unique in
taste
The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste. Taste is the perception stimulated when a substance in the mouth biochemistry, reacts chemically with taste receptor cells l ...
, and part of a distinct
ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...
. Contrary to the most literal definition of plant and animal
conservation, the Ark of Taste aims to maintain edibles in its purview by actively encouraging their cultivation for consumption. By doing so, Slow Food hopes to promote the growing and eating of foods which are sustainable and preserve
biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...
in the human food chain.
The list is intended to include foods which are rare, and are "culturally or historically linked to a specific region, locality, ethnicity or traditional production practice". Which foods meet these criteria is decided by an adjudicating committee made up of members of the Slow Food nonprofit organization; all candidates go through a formal nomination process which includes tastings and identification of producers within the region.
Since the foundation of the Ark in 1996, 5312 products () from over 130 countries have been included and growing daily. The list includes not only prepared foods and food products, but also a great many
livestock
Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...
breeds, as well as vegetable and fruit
cultivar
A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...
s. All foods in the catalogue are accompanied by a list of resources for those wishing to grow or buy them.
List of Ark of Taste foods
Ark of Taste foods in Italy
Ark of Taste foods in the United States
Ark of Taste foods throughout the world
See also
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Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...
*
Heirloom plant
An heirloom plant, heirloom variety, heritage fruit (Australia and New Zealand), or heirloom vegetable (especially in Ireland and the UK) is an old cultivar of a plant used for food that is grown and maintained by gardeners and farmers, particular ...
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Local food
Local food is food that is produced within a short distance of where it is consumed, often accompanied by a social structure and supply chain different from the large-scale supermarket Food system, system.
Local food (or locavore) movements ...
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List of food origins
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Rare breed (agriculture)
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Slow Food
Similar organizations
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The Livestock Conservancy
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Rare Breeds Survival Trust
References
Further reading
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* {{cite book , title=Renewing America's Food Traditions: Saving and Savoring the Continent's Most Endangered Foods , last=Nabhan , first=Gary Paul , publisher=Chelsea Green Publishing , isbn=978-1-933392-89-9 , year=2008
External links
Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversitythe Ark of Tasteon localharvest.org
Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity - Ark of Taste at Google Cultural Institute
Slow Food
Sustainable agriculture
Food politics
Projects established in 1996