As many of you now know, I was born and raised in Colombia by a Spanish mom who made sure we had our good serving of vegetables every day. That included the weekly serving of cauliflower ~ which my brother and I hated ~ green peas, green beans and a daily salad. I didn’t realize it then but we also had access to the most amazing variety of fruits some of which I have only seen in Colombia. Thanks to my mom, I grew up knowing, that we needed a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, protein and carbs.
When I came to the States for college in my early 20s I discovered that a fruit salad in the States was quite different from Colombia. It typically consisted of melon, pineapple, grapes and strawberries, which were probably only a fraction of the fruit that goes into a fruit salad back home. I also discovered bagels with cream cheese, pretzels, cinnamon rolls and PB&J sandwiches amongst other types of foods that I had not been privy to. I discovered that meals were served around 5 pm and included a glass of milk for children (and some adults). In Colombia, we would typically have a much later dinner that always included some fruit juice. Two of my favorite kinds come from what is known here as Passion Fruit ~ we call it maracuya ~ and a tree
tomato that I have yet to see anywhere else. It is divine! I also discovered that nutrition in the south is quite different than in the west coast. As I continued to travel, I was amazed by how differently each culture uses their natural resources for nutrition. The same fish can be prepared completely differently in Mexico than in the Dominican Republic. With the constant migration of people around the world, we get to experience a mix of culinary experiences without having to travel far, however, I think one of the biggest treasures of travel is having the opportunity to taste native foods wherever we go and discover that each culture has its own version of a healthy diet. What is your favorite type of food?