Consuming kilometer-zero food is a trend that refers to the consumption of ingredients that are as close as possible to the place you live or travel through. This practice represents a considerable reduction in logistics, transportation, and intermediaries to access the products. This implies access to fresher products, supporting local development and reducing the carbon footprint.
At the same time, it is a delicious way to promote the survival of local food production and preserve the culture and tradition with which the region's typical dishes are prepared. Additionally, there is a gain directly related to the reduction of costs for the final consumer.
Those most passionate about this trend of local food consumption maintain that the ideal is to eat a dish produced with ingredients found no more than 100 kilometers away. This, as expected, means a great challenge for most places given the scarcity of products, the limited supply of traditional dishes, and seasonal crops, among others. Even more, it is a particularly difficult task to carry out if you want to find a diversity of options to delight your gastronomic tastes.
From the above, we dare to say that when it comes to fruits, anyone who tries to be part of the kilometer-zero trend should visit Bogotá.
The first thing you need to know is that Colombia is the country with the largest number of fruits, reaching a record of 433 identified edible fruit trees which makes it the first country in the world in fruit biodiversity per square kilometer (Tafur & Toro, 2007).
In addition, the capital has several local marketplaces that currently offer approximately 42 varieties of different fruits, to which are added imported and exotic ones that were not widely sold, such as the agraz, carambolo or borojó.
Consequently, the greatest diversity of endemic fruits reaches Bogotá because it is the country's trade hub, whose fertile lands in optimal agroecological conditions and its seasonless climates favor the production of many native fruits. Hence, Bogota residents enjoy a constant supply of fruits throughout the year.
In other words, within 100 kilometers of Colombia's capital, there are areas ranging from 300 meters above sea level. Up to 3,000 meters above sea level, which varies from a warm and dry climate as in the Magdalena Valley, to warm and humid in the plain’s foothills, we can also find a temperate, cold, or paramo climate that can be dry or humid in the oriental mountain range, and a type of tropical climate, but with mountain influences directly in the capital.
All of the above, united in this magical region, offer the possibility of producing the most delicious fruits such as banana, guava, blackberry, mango, tree tomato, orange, papaya, passion fruit, pineapple, strawberries, curuba, apple, peach, tangerine, lulo, avocado, watermelon, gulupa, pear, grape, guama, badea, plum, feijoa, borojó, rose apple, papayuela, pitahaya, chontaduro, soursop, cape gooseberry, mamoncillo, kiwi, granadilla, among others… Many others!
In conclusion, thanks to the diversity that converges in Bogotá and its surroundings, the capital is an unmissable destination so as not to miss the fruit paradise that lives there. So, if you want to enjoy this natural delight with the company of passionate experts, you can visit http://321colombia.com/ and book the Fruit Tour. (El Tour de la Fruta).Â
References:
Toro, J. C., & Tafur, R. (2007). Necesidades de investigación en frutales. Frutas tropicales de Colombia para el mundo: producción, agroindustria, comercialización y cadena productiva (págs. 23-40). Santiago de Cali: Produmedios.
Edited by Sara MarÃa Fernández Padilla