Seattle Pacific University Experiences a “Taste of Colombia” in an Exchange of Food and Culture

“It was amazing,” a group of students from Seattle Pacific University exclaimed as they finished their meal prepared by visiting Sodexo chef Joaquin Suárez. Students lined up to enjoy a delicious meal and experience a bit of the culture of Colombia.

The meal included fresh ceviche in martini glasses, Ajiaco Santafereno (three-potato soup), BBQ of passion fruit marinated chicken from the Sabana, Papas Bogota (mashed potato stuffed tomatoes) and, for dessert, banana flambe in chocolate sauce.

The event, which was open to the public, was sponsored by Sodexo, which provides dining services for Seattle Pacific University and more than 850 other colleges in the U.S. It is part of the company's month-long Global Chef Program. This program allows chefs from across the globe to share their culture and favorite dishes with the rest of the world.

Before joining Sodexo in 2001, Chef Suárez, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, was chef at a variety of venues, including the Hotel Tequendama Intercontinental of Bogotá, the Hotel Bogotá Plaza, the Hotel Oro Verde in Quito, Ecuador and the restaurant La Petite Ferme in New York City. He is currently National Director of Culinary Training for Sodexo South America.

"To me, it is important to share my culture," said Chef Suárez. "You get to know a culture through the food."

Colombia has a rich culinary history. It is the only South American country with coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and its location along the equator allows for a year-round growing season. The wide geographical differences across the nation deliver a breadth of locally-grown livestock, produce and other products from which talented culinarians like Chef Suárez may create their delectable dishes.

The next day, Chef Suárez prepared a feast for the Seattle Pacific University campus community featuring a typical family meal from Antioquia, a region in the northwest of the country. Guests enjoyed a rich, tangy avocado salad, a mixed grill of beef and pork served with red beans and creole sauce, white rice, fried plantain and fried egg. A creamy rice pudding with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon completed the meal.

Before returning to Bogota, Chef Suárez was a guest speaker for a Seattle Pacific University Spanish class. He brought along some Colombian candies and spoke of his country and culture in Spanish. His visit was a great success according to the instructor, Lylje Klein. “I really appreciated the opportunity to have a guest speaker in my class as entertaining as Chef Joaquín Suárez. He brought valuable firsthand cultural experience to the classroom that my students very much enjoyed.”

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