Colombian food night: Candlelight traditions and tamales

By Julian Pla

Bread and cheese on the left, tamal wrapped with plantain leaf middle, hot chocolate to the right.

The night started off with a flute player playing classic Christmas carols, one thing to notice is the universal experience of Christmas, being able to recognise some English classics as well like “Silent Night” or “Jingle Bells”, of course the more Colombian ones were also played showing a love for the country and its traditions.

Chef Jordi came out and explained to us the menu and the cultural significance of the candlelight night in Colombia. He explained to us how the seventh of December means the start of the Christmas season. Leaving small candles on coloured paper lanterns outside one’s house creating a sort of pathway, for the more religious ones it indicates a way for Saint Mary to find the way to the house and bless it, for the non-believers is just a fun Christmas activity to do with the family.

During the explanation of the dishes Jordi described tamales as: “Colombian tamales are usually filled with two main components: meat, this can be beef, pork, or chicken, and corn mash called ‘la masa’.

“Depending on the region you may include sliced potatoes, peas, chickpeas, sliced carrots, rice, hard-boiled eggs, and wrapped in a plantain leaf.”

The tamal was accompanied with a cup of hot chocolate imported from Colombia, some bread and cheese. Following tradition, we dipped the cheese in the chocolate and ate it once it melted by the hot temperature, making the chocolate flavour stronger due to the saltiness of the cheese.

It was a good night overall with great food once again and an environment that felt welcoming and familiar. We can’t wait for chef’s Jordi next event.