A diplomatic association, headed by the U.S. Ambassador to Colombia’s wife, will hold an international food festival on June 12 near Bogota to raise money for the country’s poorest citizens.
The International Gastronomic Festival 2011, hosted by the Colombian Diplomatic Spouses Association (ACDAC), will feature cuisine from around the globe and is presented by the respective embassies of each country with the goal of raising resources for social activities to benefit Colombia’s under-resourced populations, reported financial newspaper Portafolio.
The association’s director, Fatima McKinley, wife of U.S. Ambassador to Colombia Michael McKinley, said that the festival of traditional foods offers a space for families to come together with music, typical dances and an extensive display of foods from different countries that have a diplomatic presence in Colombia.
“We are representatives of different countries and cultures. What better excuse than these flavors to meet up and invite people to share in favor of a social cause,” said McKinley in an interview with newspaper El Espectador.
“What is assured is that each country will share the best of its gastronomic riches and culture,” said the association’s president, adding that this year, artisans will be present at the festival as well, in order to enrich the cultural experience.
Although the Bolivian-born ambassador’s wife said that her favorite type of cuisine is Indian, she also admitted a love for Colombia’s large and calorie-heavy typical dish, “the bandeja paisa, although it is a little big, and sancocho.”
She stated that her favorite part of being a diplomat’s wife is “Being able to get to know different countries and cultures, having the opportunity to make a lot of friends and to enjoy as much as possible the time that we live in each place.”
According to Portafolio, as of mid-May, the embassies of 22 countries present in Colombia were preparing to attend the festival, and 17 companies had confirmed that they will sponsor the event, which will kick off at 10AM on Sunday at the El Portico restaurant, located north of Bogota.