Tolima’s suckling pig has arrived at food festivals in the United States

Crispy pork skin stuffed with rice, yellow peas and pork are the first ingredients that come to mind when Colombians think of lechonawhich although being a typical dish of the Tolimais one of the country’s favorite specialties.

The suckling pig is the heir to the Iberian tradition of roast pork, but its history and its roots in the national territory have seasoned it with nuances that differentiate it from any other dish of the gastronomy world.

Now, by the hand of Ana María Herrera, from Tolima, this dish reaches UNITED STATES and it will be exhibited for the first time at the South Beach Food and Wine Festival, a gastronomic event designed to showcase the best specialties present in the south of the North American country.

During the weekend of February 23 to 26, Ana María Herrera will participate in the festival with her company, Sabor Colombia US, also offering: empanadas, stuffed arepas, cheese fingers, picadas, among other typical Colombian dishes.

This ambassador of gastronomy national reached the UNITED STATES At just 12, his family sought opportunities that Colombia couldn’t provide, but that didn’t mean he had forgotten his roots. Guided by her desires, she set up her business, and supported by her mother, her project has more than six years of history.

Your business operates from a food truck which is located in different areas of the Gateway to the Americas, but not limited to that, it also uses social media and technology platforms to offer its food.

“We have been working formally with gastronomy for six years, with tamales, Tolimense suckling pig and other Colombian products such as empanadas, arepas and pandebonos. It has been quite a process and it has been nice to see the response from Colombians and the international community,” Ana María said for La FM.

Before this environment, he expressed his pride in participating in the festival, a well-deserved feeling, since it is a space with a high impact and relevance in the field of gastronomy.

Sell ​​a tray of lechona for ten guests for 130 dollars. In one of his Instagram Stories, he describes the dish as follows: “I arrived to please your palate with the exquisite flavor of real suckling pig, which we eat every weekend in Colombia and we love. feel happier to be away” (sic).

In other posts he reminds his clientele that “We are always within reach” and in another story he shares the unmistakable sound of suckling pig skin when cut, he has also collaborated with other Colombian entrepreneurs, who help distribute the food. .

“I feel too happy and proud. Really carrying this flag has become a dream. We bring this dream to other palates, to bring our flavors out of Ibagué so they can try them internationally. It’s too satisfying,” he told La FM.

Gastronomy is a fundamental element of culture, it is a sample of knowledge, practices and traditions that are formed in a territory, these characteristics have allowed different dishes, preparations or diets to also be understood as heritage assets .

At the end of 2022, UNESCO recognized the Baggettes as Intangible heritage of Humanity, in 2010 this organization did the same with the Mediterranean diet and in Colombia, the Ministry of Culture encouraged heritage recognition of traditional cuisines.

But typical food also has another property, it allows and encourages social encounters, which is particularly valuable for immigrantswho have to face new social realities and integrate into communities with different values ​​and for them, find a base of lechona It’s not just a moment of taste, it’s also a moment of reconnection with your identity and your culture.