Pasta Traditions

• In Colombia, pasta is consumed in three ways: in soups, salads, and pasta courses with sauce. The pasta recipes vary depending on the region and climate. For example, in cold climates, pasta with different sauces and vegetable soups are common, and in hot climates pasta salads with tuna, chicken, and vegetables are preferred.
• Colombian cuisine emphasizes traditional regional recipes, but new trends that make the best of local products turn Colombian flavors into innovative dishes. Pasta is included in this phenomenon. Colombian average per capita consumption of pasta is estimated to be about 3.5 kg per year.

Food Facts

• Colombian cuisine reflects European roots and also traditional influences. Traditional dishes are based on corn, potatoes, meat, beans, rice, and plantains.
• Although no one agrees on what is the national dish of Colombia, arepas (like Venezuela), and sancocho, (a thick stew made across South American with the Colombian version usually including large pieces of chicken, plantain, cassava, and a fresh tomato and onion sauce, called guiso) are favorites.

Fun Facts

• Colombia is the only country in South America to have access to both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea
• 75% of the world’s emeralds are mined in Columbia.

• According to the New Economic Foundation Happy Planet Index, Colombia has the second happiest population in the world.