News
Colombia's pantry is born in the marshlands
Colombia has 50% of the world's peat bogs, so it is not surprising that the country's larder is closely linked to these natural spaces. The peculiarity of this ecosystem attracted the attention of chef Jeferson García, whose Afluente project aims to make the páramo visible and accessible
For three years, Jeferson and his team have been researching the páramos, and "I realised that they are everything in Colombia". The páramos make up only "3% of Colombia's territory, but they produce between 70 and 80% of the country's water", the chef explained to the audience. A wealth of which the indigenous people were already aware, "for whom water was a goddess to be respected". A respect for the environment that the farmers have continued to maintain, and whose fruits Jeferson García is keen to highlight.
"The marshes are made up of moors, submoors and supermoors. The latter are those at the highest altitudes, around 4,000 metres, where the most specific ingredients are found, such as the camarona grape, bananillo, or romerito de páramo. The higher the altitude, the greater the concentration of flavours," explains the chef. And it is these ingredients that stand out in his cuisine, but not just the ingredients themselves, but also the people who grow and produce them. "Our aim is to highlight the value of the ingredient and the producer. We want to help them sell their products, because many of them don't even reach the markets", says García, as he prepares various dishes with arepas, wild duck or papayuelas.
Mountain berries, ibias, cubios, and medicinal herbs were added to the list of products that Jeferson distributed on stage. All of them "products linked to a unique ecosystem, that of the páramos, which we must preserve because if the water in Colombia runs out, 70% of its food supply will disappear", warned the chef.
Related news
News
Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España has established the new paradigm for major gastronomic congresses with resounding success
The great response from delegates (1,814), visitors (25,812) and exhibiting companies (211) to the widest range of content in its 22-year history has made this the biggest and most international edition in its history
News
Pedro Ballesteros MW puts the emphasis on "Ñ" on the last day of Madrid Fusión The Wine Edition 2024
News
Cooking for health
The first edition of Dreams #spainfoodtechnation left an unbeatable taste in the mouth on its last day, proving that the combination of gastronomy and nutrition is the infallible formula for better nutrition
News
The emotions that drive menus
The intersection of artificial intelligence and hospitality has given rise to the sensory table, where diners' sensations are measured before a dish is served
News
Carlos Casillas, chef of words
"We want to cook the past from the present with an eye to the future", says the young chef from Barro, in Avila
News
Riccardo Canella's vital discovery
The Italian chef, who spent seven years at Noma, is preparing a new restaurant in his native Venice
News
Alberto Lozano makes the most of the Arctic larder
Seals, reindeer, white partridge, and cod, are the main ingredients in the world's northernmost restaurant.
News
A hundred ingredients in one dish, for a different flavour in every bite
Nicolai Nørregaard, chef at the Kadeau restaurant, shows how nouvelle Nordic cuisine is consolidating itself with local produce, preserves, and the apparent simplicity of very complex dishes
News
Making the most of discarded mushrooms in Montia
Dani Ochoa's Mountain Cuisine is committed to discovering the gastronomic potential of the ripest mushrooms, which are often discarded, thus contributing to the conservation of Madrid's mountains
News
Mads Refslund's choose-your-own-adventure restaurant
Refslund offers guests an interactive menu created from their own choice of ingredients
