The Gastronomic Congress of the UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy of Popayan (Colombia) attracts thousands of visitors every year.  From 3rd to 6th September, this year’s Congress focused on immigrants cooking. 

 

Since the launching of this annual Congress in 2003, Popayan has invited a guest country and a Colombian department to showcase their national or regional cuisine alongside the Popayan specialties. This year’s foreign guest of honor was the UCCN Creative City of Design of Montreal (Canada) along with the Colombian department of Sincelejo, whose cuisine has a strong Arab influence.

 

The Congress was followed by 500 registered members who actively participated in the academic lectures and the debates on gastronomic heritage offered by international and national experts and chefs as well as in the award ceremony for the best chef and distinguished gastronomy training center. Workshops and tasting sessions took place simultaneously in different emblematic institutions and places of the city. The general public participated massively (40.000 visitors this year) and enjoyed in the central square of Popayan the food prepared by 40 traditional cookers at special prices as well as the “saber y sabor” -learn and taste- platform with a variety of live music. Indeed, creativity in all its form is celebrated in the Gastronomic Congress of Popayan.

The gathering at the central square of Popayan generated around 782.000 US dollars of income for exhibitors and 1.600.000 US dollars in benefits for the city (hotels, transportation, taxis, shops, etc.) thus highlighting the key role of this creative field to foster the local economy.