Mamá Luz: A Charming Matron Who Captivates with Her Flavor

Luz Dary Cogollo, known as Mamá Luz, is a native from Ciénaga de Oro, Córdoba. As she relates, “it is where the stones jump from the heat.” Her story begins by the wood-burning stoves in her hometown, where cooking becomes a magical experience.

“My cooking is a sung tale,” Mamá Luz says, recalling how the indigenousness of her region led her to see cooking as a dance. For her, life is a story full of joy, music, drums and, above all, flavor; a flavor that transcends the culinary and intertwines with her roots. From a young age, Luz Dary discovered the flavors of Colombia, an opportunity that now leads her to represent the richness of her land at an international level. “Échele palote, as they used to say to me,” she recalls nostalgically.

“We are born with tradition,” says Mamá Luz, who has lived surrounded by unique aromas and moments she now remembers as cherished memories. These experiences connect her life with the flavor that infuses her dishes.

Luz Dary is one of the most recognized faces in the country; her story rich in flavor. As she puts it herself: “My life is a fandango.” Her name, or rather her pseudonym, is a tribute to the dedication she has always had to service and cooking.

Mamá Luz fondly remembers her beginnings at the famous Farmers Market La Concordia in downtown Bogotá. “University students found in me a mother who pampered them,” Luz Dary says, reflecting on how those students still seek out her flavor to remind them of home. “I am a mother to them,” Mamá Luz explains, referring to those young people who gave her a name that now resonates in homes across Colombia.

Every kitchen has a story to tell, and Mamá Luz’s has much to narrate. Her life project aims to transform the lives of other women. For her, it is essential to visit her homeland, where it all began. “I always go and I go to teach,” she assures. Her greatest concern is seeing how many women of her age continue to live in a different and purposeless way.

Mamá Luz wishes to convey a message to all women facing challenges and seeing life as a path filled with obstacles. Her goal is to inspire women who, like her, have found distant opportunities but in the end made life-changing decisions that led them to discover a world of possibilities.

She defines herself as a joyful woman, whose enthusiasm is reflected in each of her dishes. “Everyone cooks, but few can feed,” is a phrase she considers fundamental and likes to repeat on any occasion.

For this 51-year-old matron, Colombia is a Beloved Land for its people and its culture. “We have a special flavor,” she says proudly, and that makes us unique. We represent a culture where diversity enchants, affirms Mamá Luz, highlighting the richness of her heritage and the warmth of her community.