LOST IN TRANSLATION: LIFE OF A JAPANESE GIRL IN ITALY What does ‘natural’ actually mean in natural wine? With this question in mind, I visited Augusta, a natural wine fair in Turin. Now in its fourth year, the event brings together producers and visitors from Italy and abroad. Alongside wine, there were beers, ciders, chocolates, and fresh bread. It felt more like a festival than a wine tasting. The charming illustrations by Gianluca Cannizzo set the tone. Many visitors were

LOST IN TRANSLATION: LIFE OF A JAPANESE GIRL IN ITALY ● Discovering Connections with the Wider World Through the Streets and the Sea On a university field trip, I visited Sitges, a town in Catalonia, Spain. White walls, blue doors, and narrow cobbled streets wound uphill. Flags hung overhead. The scenery reminded me of places I had visited before: Lisbon, Sardinia, and the old town of Nice. There was something distinctly Mediterranean about it all. Just walking around lifted

Halloween is the one night we buy food, carve a face into it, stick a candle inside, and leave it lit on the doorstep. It’s a lovely ritual. The real surprise, though, comes the morning after, when it turns out the humble pumpkin has plenty left to give. The numbers are hard to ignore. Hubbub estimates that of the 30 million pumpkins bought for carving each year, around 16 million end up uneaten. Over half thrown straight into the bin. People often claim they don’t know what

Gastronomy is Not About Haute Cuisine I never knew so many people lived in Bra, a town of around 30,000 residents. I kept thinking about this while walking through the streets. BRA’S is a festival and celebrates its local speciality, Salsiccia di Bra, a type of sausage. It is organised by the Piedmont Region, Confcommercio Ascom Bra and the Municipality of Bra. While Slow Food and the University of Gastronomic Sciences prepared for the following week’s Salone del Gusto, local

Regional food groups are the unseen connectors behind the food we love, and their survival depends on all of us. Think of the best thing you ate this year. Chances are a grower or maker you'd never heard of was behind it, and somebody made an introduction to get it to you. A small producer with no sales team met a buyer who couldn't afford a mistake, and a third person who knew them both vouched for each. That person is the most overlooked figure in the food system. They are

Gastronomy is Not About Haute Cuisine Is the Strength of ‘Made in Italy’ Simply a Matter of Good Branding? Before coming to study in Italy, I often came across articles in Japan arguing that Italian businesses had succeeded in reaching global markets directly from small towns and in building ‘Made in Italy’ into a powerful brand—and that Japan, supposedly less adept at branding, should learn from them. Yet after living here and working for an Italian manufacturer, I realised

LOST IN TRANSLATION: LIFE OF A JAPANESE GIRL IN ITALY One of the most significant dates in Italy in August is Ferragosto, on 15 August. Its name comes from the Feriae Augusti, a period of rest introduced by Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Later, in the Christian calendar, 15 August became the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and today it marks the peak of the Italian summer holiday season. It coincides with the Obon period in Japan; many shops close, and people

Why soaring supermarket costs could be forcing a rethink of the weekly shop. When a basic weekly shop feels like a luxury purchase, consumer habits begin to shift. The Food and Drink Federation forecasts UK food inflation could peak near 6.4% next summer. A standard £100 basket heads towards £147.50. British households face a prolonged squeeze. Energy costs, climate patterns, and trade barriers keep supermarket prices high while quality stays the same. This pressure doesn’t a

LOST IN TRANSLATION: LIFE OF A JAPANESE GIRL IN ITALY I had the opportunity to spend a month of my summer doing an internship in Mantova, a city in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. My favourite view in the city was the one I would see from Ponte di San Giorgio on my way from where I was staying into the city centre. As I reached Ponte di San Giorgio, the stretch of land that had continued up to that point suddenly gave way, and the view opened onto the lake on both sid

September arrives. The clock ticks faster. People drop short-term diet fads. They look for food that genuinely supports digestion, immunity, and well-being over the new season. Fermented products like kefir, kimchi, and kombucha have moved straight into the mainstream, valued for microbes as mush as flavour. Supermarkets and industrial food science offer quick fixes like shelf-stable sauerkraut for instant gratification. The city demands speed. But fermentation moves at its

When we think about healthcare, we focus on doctors, nurses, and medicine. We rarely think about food. Yet, for Movimento Metropolitano (MoM), nutrition is an essential part of medical care. We need to stop making nutrition sound like a complex scientific word—it’s not. It simply means the food we eat and how our bodies use it to stay strong. Certain foods are vital for healing, strength, and recovery and this vital information needs to reach people, giving more equal opportu

Movimento Metropolitano turns away from tech-heavy trends and single-nutrient obsessions. Making a meal does not require endless gadgets or a digital assistant. Let’s get back to the basics and listen to our bodies. Look at beans and legumes. They are honest, affordable powerhouses that require zero biohacking, whether in a vibrant summer salad or a hearty winter stew. Real nutrition lives in community and local connection. Guided by our simple MoM Good Food principles —treat

LOST IN TRANSLATION: LIFE OF A JAPANESE GIRL IN ITALY ‘There is no such dish as 'curry' in India.’ That was what a friend from India told me. I could not understand what she meant. Until then, I had never questioned the idea that curry was India's national dish. A fish curry made by my friend from Tamil Nadu in southern India, using his mother's recipe. For Japanese people, curry is a home-cooked favourite, loved by both children and adults, alongside fried chicken and hambur

Every festival begins with an act of faith. Faith that ordinary life can be suspended. Neighbours will laugh together. Families will return to the same table. Strangers in a crowded square will feel less alone. Whether lanterns drift across Japanese waters, fireworks illuminate India's skies, or Italian families gather by the sea in the height of summer, festivals ask us to do one simple thing: stop. Gather. It is one of humanity’s oldest habits. We often think of festivals a

LOST IN TRANSLATION: LIFE OF A JAPANESE GIRL IN ITALY I recently visited the Netherlands for a university study trip. One memorable visit was to Koppert Cress, a Dutch company supported by many leading chefs, including those working in Michelin-starred restaurants around the world. They supply microgreens and edible flowers to professional kitchens. They do more than deliver ingredients; they also offer new ideas and cooking inspiration. Today, the company offers around 60 pr

Italian Bakery Apprenticeship Series (3) LOST IN TRANSLATION: LIFE OF A JAPANESE GIRL IN ITALY I baked a sourdough loaf using the starter shared by a local bakery in Bra. The next day, I returned to the bakery to ask what they thought of the result. That conversation unexpectedly led to an invitation. I spent several mornings learning alongside the bakers. This is the final instalment of my series. I want to share my observations and the quiet philosophies behind how Ital

Italian Bakery Apprenticeship Series (2) LOST IN TRANSLATION: LIFE OF A JAPANESE GIRL IN ITALY After baking a sourdough loaf using a starter that a local baker in Bra had kindly shared with me, I returned the following day to ask for feedback. That visit led to an unexpected opportunity: I was invited to spend several days as an apprentice in the bakery. During my time there, I began to notice a number of things about the world of the Italian forno — a traditional neighb

Gastronomy is not Haute Cuisine Every February, Japanese department stores are transformed into showcases for chocolates from around the world. Long queues form for Valentine's Day fairs. People are drawn to rare brands and the stories of celebrated chocolatiers, willingly paying premium prices for a single piece. In Paris and Brussels, jewel-like bonbons are displayed in elegant boutiques. In the United States, multinational companies have built entire theme parks aroun

LOST IN TRANSLATION: LIFE OF A JAPANESE GIRL IN ITALY Not long after I arrived in Bra, my landlady insisted, ‘You have to try Salsiccia di Bra — it’s the town’s speciality.’ So she took me to a local butcher’s shop. The butcher behind the counter happily offered me a taste. Back in Japan, I had never been entirely comfortable with the distinctive texture of raw meat — that soft, slightly slippery feeling — so I put it into my mouth with a little hesitation. I was genuinel

Italian Bakery Apprenticeship Series (1) LOST IN TRANSLATION: LIFE OF A JAPANESE GIRL IN ITALY After baking a sourdough loaf using a starter that a local baker in Bra had kindly shared with me, I returned the following day to ask for feedback. That visit led to an unexpected opportunity: I was invited to spend several days as an apprentice in the bakery. During my time there, I began to notice a number of things about the world of the Italian forno — a traditional neighbourho