CHEF DIOGO NORONHA
After training at the “Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts” in New York, he interned at the 3-Michelin Star Restaurant “Per se”, in NY. He then moved to Barcelona and to “Moo”. He eventually returned to Lisbon and after experiences in several restaurants he is about to embark on a new project opening soon in the portuguese capital.
POLAND
GROCHÓWKA
For the Polish dish, the choice fell on grochówka wojskowa. In Poland, this pea soup typically had military connotations because it is both nutritious, inexpensive and can be easily prepared in big quantities. It is also associated with field kitchens – mobile kitchens such as mobile canteens and food trucks – although it is now usually prepared in messes – areas where military personnel socializes. This military pea soup was usually prepared in such a thick manner that it was said that a spoon was able to stand straight in it.
DRIED PEAS
nutrients: fiber, protein, vitamin B1, potassium, these are a good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber.
COLOMBIA
BANDEJA PAISA
This typical dish – which is also known as bandeja de arriero, bandeja montañera or bandeja antioqueña – has been Colombia’s national dish since 2005. It hails from the Antioquia department of Paisa Region in the northwest of Colombia that also includes the Andes. The influences come from the indigenous peoples that first lived there, but also from colonial Spaniards and Africans. Its origin, a hefty nourishing meal with a great variety and abundance of ingredients including eggs, pork belly, banana or avocado, comes from being a wrapped, single meal that accompanied men in their journeys.
KIDNEY BEANS
nutrients: copper, fiber, potassium, magnesium, which help to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
PORTUGAL
MEIA DESFEITA
This meal originated from Lisbon, specifically from the traditional neighborhood of Mouraria, and uses as its main ingredients chickpeas, codfish and eggs. It has been mentioned by many well-known Portuguese novelists and writers such as Eça de Queirós and Ramalho Ortigão. For a long time, the meia desfeita (de bacalhau) has been known as a meal especially consumed by underprivileged people. Its name, in fact, comes from the fact that the poorer asked for half (“meia”) a helping. It is also a dish that is traditionally prepared after Christmas Eve, using its dinner leftovers.
CHICKPEAS
nutrients: manganese, phosphorus, iron, zinc, which are packed with antioxidants that decrease cardiovascular risks.
