A sintaxe visual no Food Styling sob a conduta do Slow Food

Abstract

This monograph, entitled "Visual Syntax in Food Styling Guided by Slow Food Principles" addresses the issue of food standardization, which tends to weaken cultural, emotional, and territorial ties to food. Against this backdrop, the research analyzes how a strategic combination of food styling and Slow Food values can reshape the dining experience in Brazilian restaurants, elevating it beyond the mere act of eating. It investigates the role of food styling encompassing the aesthetics and visual presentation of dishes and the dining environment to evoke the diner's emotional memories and sensory appreciation. Concurrently, it explores the integration of Slow Food principles (“good, clean, and fair”), emphasizing ingredient provenance, respect for producers, seasonality, and the time dedicated to preparation and consumption. The methodological framework employs Bernd Löbach’s design system, adapted for Experience Design and divided into four phases: Preparation, Generation, Evaluation, and Realization enabling a systematic analysis of the meal’s functional, practical, aesthetic, and symbolic aspects. The central objective is to demonstrate how design applied to the presentation and context of a meal can reinforce Slow Food values. Ultimately, the study anticipates that food styling guided by these principles can render the dining experience more sensory and mindful deeply connected to memory and food culture thereby transforming the act of consumption into a moment of profound cultural, social, and territorial reconnection.