TRIBUTE “THE GUY WHO ATE FLOWERS” Alejandro Cuéllar R.I.P.

When talking about Colombian culinary diplomacy, it is essential to mention Alejandro Cuéllar, paying tribute to him through his favorite flowers – pansies –, recounting how he dedicated a good part of his energy and reflections to understanding how to position Colombian gastronomic fruitfulness, both within the country and abroad. Thus, he quickly became one of the people closest to Plan for the Promotion of Colombia Abroad, taking his avantgarde recipes to Chile, the United States, and Southeast Asia, where he made his last tour to promote the passion he felt for our gastronomy.

In 2018, Alejandro was invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to carry out end-of-year activities at the Colombian Embassies in the United States and the United Nations in New York, where he undoubtedly delighted diners with representative dishes from five of the regions of Colombia. Among them were: oysters in street ceviche of mango ‘biche’ (Caribbean); prawn ‘coctél’ (Pacific), ‘pescado moqueado’ with black chili tapioca and cassava puree (Amazon); tenderloin on horseback over criolla potato puree and cured egg yolks (Andes); and its well-known and colorful Christmas majule custard* with mayanes pineapple, strawberries and blackberries (Orinoquia).

“ Majule META-ARAUCA-CASANAREDifficulty level ** | Cooking time: 45 minutes.

6 plantains in their maximum state of maturity · 1½ liter of water · ½ pound (250 gr) of fresh curd · 1 liter of milk.

Bananas are peeled and sliced thin like paper streamers. The heart is discarded. They are cooked in water for 20 minutes over medium heat, whisking with a grinder until [the liquid] boils and the strips are loose. Add the shredded curd and let it boil until it takes on a reddish color. Add the milk, and cook until the desired thick consistency is achieved. [This dish] is served hot in soup plates, accompanied by cachapas or tungos.”

Photo: Esteban Rodriguez.

Taken from: Ordóñez Caicedo, Carlos. 2012 [1984]. Biblioteca Básica de Cocinas Tradicionales de Colombia, vol. 09. Gran Libro de la Cocina Colombiana. Ministry of Culture of Colombia. Bogotá D.C. (original in Spanish. This translation respects the writing style of the recipe).

*Cachapas are a pancake-like variety of arepa made with maíz choclo. Tungos are rice cakes boiled or steamed, wrapped in leaves.

Esteban Rodriguez.

One of the aspects that we remember most from his time in New York was the impact he had on the team that accompanied him in the kitchen. The night when the diners enjoyed their dishes, the cooks and chefs sent a message with a photo where they said: “We’re delighted with Alejandro here”. So, in 2019, when Alejandro passed away, Carmencita, the cook of the United Nations mission in New York, shown hugging him in the photo, expressed her sadness remembering him for those “bonus cooking classes” that he gave them during his stay in New York.

That positive attitude characterized him: generosity and endless desire to share his knowledge.

He would sit down for as long as necessary with consultants from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, and ProColombia, to discuss how to unite us around the goal of showing our cuisines, all “rowing in” the same direction. Without a doubt, his legacy continues to inspire Colombian gastrodiplomacy. Alejandro will always be remembered for energetically displaying the country in all of its splendor: cultures, edible flowers, and ingredients condensed in a concept of wild cuisine that feels very Colombian.

“The man who ate flowers”, as many recognize him, was a key motivator for companies like Green Plants. Raúl Zabala, its founder, tells us that Alejandro was the inspiration for planting edible sprouts: “the main person who guided us to get these products forward and make them available to chefs”. By drawing the map of Colombia using these sprouts in various images of this book, we want to remember and thank Alejandro.