The Diplomat
In the framework of the Colombia Chair and as part of the Plan for the Promotion of Colombia Abroad, Ambassador Luis Guillermo Plata and his wife Lyana Latorre offered last week a dinner with a Pacific flavour to the authorities, businessmen, media, educational and cultural community of the Basque Country.
Those attending the dinner enjoyed a gastronomic experience by chef Elsis María Valencia Rengifo, traditional cook of the Colombian Pacific and instructor of the National Learning Service (SENA), chef Carmelo Bengoechea and his kitchen team of the Sociedad Bilbaína.
Chef Valencia herself designed the menu with local ingredients, which she brought from Colombia. Between bites, diners learned about the history of the dishes, their ingredients and their ancestral flavours. “In every bite is the construction of the human being, of his territory. Eating takes us back to the cuisine of the grandmother, the mother and we need to weave ourselves as a society”, said the Colombian chef who has dedicated her life to preserving traditions and transmitting this legacy to young Colombians.
For his part, Ambassador Luis Guillermo Plata said that “tonight Elsis allowed us to travel to the Pacific through the palate and the senses. She is not only a great connoisseur of local products and traditional Colombian cuisine, but also a great teacher”.
The meeting took place in one of the halls of the Sociedad Bilbaína. Ambassador Plata thanked the attendees for their company, for the excellent relationship that exists with the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country and for the support to the project: “Cátedra Colombia”. Thanks to Jaime Gorbeña, president of the Bergé company, SENA apprentice Natalia López will be able to train in bakery for a week at the Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastián.
