The adventure of our magazine starts with young people and a mission announced as quite dangerous. On an almost spring morning, we have had a long conversation with the girls and boys studying at the scientific high school, Istituto Gobetti-Volta in Bagno a Ripoli, just outside Florence. It is a composite class. It represents an interesting microcosm, suspended between the city and part of the province overlooking the Chianti region.

With them, we have carried out what we could call a free, informal chat-survey, almost a “sensor” placed on one of the most tormented frontiers young people’s lives: food.

It was a far from obvious experience, in some ways surprising, almost a turnaround compared to the stereotypes on the subject. We have started immediately with a 360° question, with emotional impact and reflections on the concrete daily life:

“According to you, food is in relation to …?”

Fifty-two per cent of the young people experience this relationship as nutrition that goes hand in hand with the pleasure of taste. A significant 39% underlines that food is essentially a cultural factor, which refers to traditions, family or community values, and to a precise identity. Only 9% of them, nutrition has a mere scope of necessity. Nobody, really nobody, has opted for the solution that sees a close connection between food and conditioning coming from a trend.

The answer to the direct question “What food are you?” (Dichecibo6?) is even more interesting.

At the girls and boys disposal was a choice that allowed them to respond with at least three completely free indicators, without any preventive grid.

From the group of keywords identified, a very wide-ranging and diversified picture emerges, but with specific strong points of great interest, which favours the understanding of the compass that guides young people in their relationship with food.

The hardcore of the responses highlights the rooting in traditions and territory that still guides young people’ taste: the most familiar and appreciated options are in order of importance steak, pizza and pasta. Undoubtedly with many variations and nuances. Some, like pasta, always in the wake of tasty and sober food: tomato, sauce, pesto, lasagne, and macaroni. Others, like pizza, with the traditional openings to the exotic (for example pizza with a mix of pineapple and ham).

Repeated and a little counter-current compared to the media vulgate is the reference to the “household cuisine”. Several times significant expressions appeared as “homemade”, “unpackaged” and, to finish with a bang, “my grandmother’s delicious ragu sauce”.

More insistent than expected and punctual are the references to natural and healthy choices: vegetables prepared in many ways and all kinds of fruit (on all strawberries). It is noteworthy to underline the pride that emerges when they specify, “everything comes from my vegetable garden”.

Nevertheless, Mediterranean incursions could not be missing, albeit numerically limited, demonstrating that contamination is also present from a youth perspective. To cite only three references, scupatiz¹, souvlaki and Afro-fusion recipes.

Present, obviously, the world of desserts, with the primacy shared between ice cream or sorbet and chocolate cakes.

What about fast food? Almost forgotten with a single quote. Who can still affirm that young people, even in this area, are fully conformed? The proof of their free, curious attitude towards noticeable quality comes from one of the most emblematic answers we have read.

The table? “It’s the mirror of a multifarious personality”.

FRANCO BANCHI

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[1] S.(or barattiere) is a landrace variety of muskmelon.