Nutrition Around the World: Colombian Cuisine

Today’s episode is the second in a series of episodes on global cuisines. Last month, we talked with dietitian Vandana Sheth about the nutritional highlights of Indian food—along with a few of the nutritional challenges. Today, we’re going to continue our exploration of nutrition around the world with a tour of Colombian cuisine.

Sandra Arévalo is a registered dietitian nutritionist and expert on Latino culture and health. Sandra grew up in Colombia and emigrated to the United States where she currently serves as the Director of Community and Patient Education at Montefiore Nyack Hospital as well as a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Below are a few highlights from our conversation.

Enjoy the entire interview on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, or listen by clicking the audio player above.

Characteristics of Colombian Cuisine

Monica Reinagel

A lot of North Americans aren't very familiar with Colombian cuisine. What are some of the characteristic hallmarks?

Sandra Arévalo

Because we are in Latin America, a lot of people have the misconception that Colombian food is spicy, like Mexican food, perhaps. So a lot of people are surprised to learn that Colombian cuisine is not spicy. It’s very savory and flavorful, but not spicy. 

We have a huge variety of climates, depending on the altitude, and the cuisine varies a lot with the geographical area.

And because we are near the equator, most people think that it’s just hot everywhere. But it’s not. We have a huge variety of climates, depending on the altitude, and the cuisine varies a lot with the geographical area. If you are closer to the coast, the dishes are more tropical and seafood-based. If you are in the mountains, where the weather is colder, and there is different agriculture, you have more soups and stews. In the valley, you have more meats, rice, and beans.   

So, each region has its own typical dishes. But most feature some sort of meat or fish. Every meal contains rice but will often have other starches such as plantains, potatoes, or yucca. Corn is widely used as well. We use corn flour to make arepas, but we also add whole-kernel corn to soups and corn on the cob grilled. Fruit is also a part of most meals.

Monica

Is there a particular spice or spice combination that...

Keep reading on Quick and Dirty Tips