Best food-movement start-up

"We are enslaved by speed and have all succumbed to the same insidious virus: Fast Life, which disrupts our habits, pervades the privacy of our homes, and forces us to eat Fast Food."

So begins the Slow Food Manifesto, a declaration against the ills of modernity that proposes a unique solution: fighting progress by preserving the culture of the table. It's a movement that began in Italy (as a response to a McDonald's opening in a small town) and has now spread to 115 countries. And thanks to cheese expert Matthew Rubiner, it is now alive and well in Boston. The more specific goals have to do with preserving local foodways and foodstuffs -- by putting a stop to overfishing, preserving rare breeds, and so forth. The broad goals are loftier. To quote again from the manifesto, "That is what real culture is about: developing taste rather than demeaning it."

Rubiner and his ever-growing following of Slow Fooders plug away, but in a fashion that's much more fun than the manifesto might suggest. They hold events -- like a tasting of 25 different salts, a meal of foods from Italy's Po River, and a trip to local cheese makers -- and they hammer out lists of animals and foods that deserve protection. If you dare to be slow, go ahead and join them.

To join the Slow Food Massachusetts chapter, contact Matthew Rubiner at rubiner@mediaone.net or (617) 547-0562. For information about the worldwide Slow Food movement, go to www.slowfood.com.