Foodie Edition: The Food of My Country
So many of my friends have often asked me what exactly Colombian food is. For many Texans (and Americans in general), they generalize Colombian food as being very similar to Mexican food. Well not surprisingly, just like USA has many different types of traditional food depending on the region, ethnicity, and culture of the country, Latin and South American countries are the same way. For example, Colombia does not really eat spicy food such as salsa, or jalapeños. There is no queso, no tacos, and no enchiladas. In fact, much of Colombian food comes from locally sourced available food. We have a plethora of fresh tropical fruit juices (some of which are only found in the Andes Mountains; such as lulo), plantains, fresh avocados, regional potatoes, rice, beans, and local meat. As a therapist who specializing in eating disorders, I find it important to be able to discuss different types of food in positive and fun ways. Normalizing food and different culture's way of cherishing food and community helps to encourage us to see the "all food fits" mentality and actually believe in it as truth. Therefore, I really wanted everyone to get an idea of some of my favorite traditional meals from my homeland. Like I said earlier, just like USA, Colombia might have different twists on some traditional recipes. The ones I'm about to showcase are some that my family has always made, and my "foodie blogger" attempt at describing the pictures will be below the photos. Let me know what you think!
