Colombia in the spotlight at the EHTL

In the context of the bicentenary of its independence, Colombia intends to promote its strengths and establish collaborations in various fields throughout the world. This country of 50 million inhabitants is the second most biodiverse country in the world, and offers, among other things, birdwatching tours and colourful itineraries for cycling through different regions, for example from the Caribbean Sea, through the Andes to Ecuador. In 2016, a peace agreement signed with the FARC guerrilla group brought an end to more than half a century of armed conflict. Since then, Colombia has become a trendy quality tourist destination.

On 6 November 2019, the EHTL had the honour of welcoming H.E. Mr Felipe García Echeverri, Ambassador of the Republic of Colombia, accompanied by a delegation including the chef Elsis María Valencia, who gave a master class to first year students in cuisine. It was an opportunity to prepare together traditional dishes with a perfect blend of ingredients, textures, smells and flavours. The students, supervised by their teacher Alain HOSTERT, enjoyed this exotic trip, as well as the very warm contact with the expert who perfectly masters the subtle dosage of herbs and spices to create dishes that contribute to the well-being of body and soul.

As an active participant in Colombia’s Promotion Plan abroad, Elsis Valencia made a gastronomic tour of the Netherlands, Belgium and Finland and revealed a sample of her know-how in Diekirch.