July 6, 2019

It has been a long time coming, but welcome to the next installment of my Cultures Connect series. This time, I am focusing on Colombia. In the last several decades, the media has portrayed Colombia with a negative reputation. Colombia’s tussle with crime, drugs and poverty have painted Colombia as a dangerous country. However, in recent years, Colombia has strived to improve the living conditions of Colombians, strengthen its economy, and negate the old portrayals of Colombia. With its recent membership into the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the boom in tourism, Colombia has embraced its history and moved forward to a better lifestyle.  

I talked to three individuals, Mr. A, Ms. M, and Ms. D, born in Colombia but currently live in the US. We discussed a number of cultural topics, including food, language and diversity in Colombia. Two of these interviewees were born in the capital city of Bogotá and one interviewee hails from the second largest city of Medellin. While all three came from a major Colombian city, all three had quite different experiences growing up in Colombia and living their adult lives in the US. However, all three interviewees still hold emotional connections to Colombia. 

Food

Although Colombia is well-known for its delicious coffee and gorgeous coffee fields, Colombian cuisine is as diverse as the country itself. Fresh fruit and vegetables, hearty beans and meat, and sweeten breads for special occasions create the foundation of Colombian cuisine.

Historially, Colombian towns and cities remained isolated from each other. As Mr. A explained that Colombia has a history of regional communities. However, interaction between cities has increased in recent years. With the help of natural barriers in the Colombian landscape, each regional community had the opportunity to develop a unique cuisine. Mr. A described a dish, Bandeja Paisa, common to mountainous areas. Bandeja Paisa consists of hearty ingredients, beans, plaintains, eggs, rice, meat, and avocado. This dish originates from the initial settlers of mountainous areas. These settlers would consume foods high in calories and carbohydrates as they often moved from one place to another. Over in Bogotá, Ms. D and Ms. M recalled the city’s specialty dish, Ajiaco. Another hearty dish, Ajiaco is a soup consisting of chicken and potatoes. Both Bandeja Paisa and Ajiaco can be viewed as a comfort food. 

Although cuisine varies throughout the country, fresh fruit and fresh fruit juice, in particular, is prevalent across the country. Ms M fondly recalled purchasing fresh mangoes for 35¢ from a street vendor after school. Generally, Ms. M advised that the water in the larger cities like Bogotá and Medellin is safe to drink, so street fruit is also safe to eat. 

Language

Spanish is the primary language in Colombia; however, many Colombians speak more than one language. All three interviewees spoke at least three languages: Spanish, English, and French and/or Portuguese. While all regions speak Spanish, dialects and phrases vary greatly across regions. One phrase, ‘No dar papaya!’, can be useful to remember in cities. Roughly translating to ‘don’t give a papaya’, Ms. M explained that this phrase means ‘Don’t be an idiot in the city, don’t flash off your wealth because you can get robbed.’ Basically, the phrase means that when you are walking around the city, use your common sense and do not provide the opportunity to be robbed. 

Diversity

‘Colombia is a very very weird country. We don’t have one identity. The people from my hometown [Medellin] are completely different from the people from Bogotá’ – Mr. A

Colombia’s history of regional communities created a country where diversity flourishes. Colombia, a lively country full of color and energy consists of people from all different backgrounds. Foreign tourism has grown in the major cities. Both Ms. M recalled cultural festivals occurring once a month in Bogotá and Ms D described Bogotá as the ‘South American Athens’ for its cultural activities. Whereas Mr A recounted the history of the first village in South America to ban slavery, Palenque de San Basilio. Colombian diversity does not only apply to the people, but encompasses all live in Colombia. Colombia’s biodiversity is one of the most diverse countries in the world. 

The culture of a country encompasses so much more than just performances, music, the arts, or entertainment. Culture is the heart of a country and its people are at the heart of the country’s culture. The ways in which people interact with their community and outside of their community, the languages they speak, and the food they eat shape culture. However, these concepts are only part of the whole and culture encompasses so much more than can be described.

Until next time,

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