Colombia Food and Drink

By Nili Larish

Like many other Latin American nations’ cuisines, Colombian food relies heavily on fresh, regionally available ingredients. While Colombian cuisine may not have the boldest or most adventurous flavors, the traveler will have no trouble finding filling and inexpensive traditional dishes, snacks, street food, and tropical produce that hit the spot.

Colombian arepas (fried cornmeal patties) are a street food sold and eaten all over the country, but are often breakfast, (along with hot chocolate) in the western part of the country. Plain arepas are rather bland and are typically eaten with cheese or butter spread on top, though several variations on the traditional arepa are also popular. Stuffed arepas include the arepa de choclo, made with corn and cheese; arepa de huevo, egg arepa; and arepa de queso and arepa Boyacense, which are filled with savory and sweet cheeses. Packaged arepas can also be bought in the supermarkets. Empanadas (fried pastries stuffed with meat or cheese) and buñuelos (fried, cheesy corn flour balls) are two more deep fried foods that are also quite common, among others.

Regional specialties:

An ever-popular dish you are likely to encounter, especially in Bogota and around, is ajiaco, a riff on chicken soup that contains corn and potatoes. It is usually served with heavy cream and avocadoes, making it a hearty lunch on its own.

Though typical of Medellín and the northwest, another nationally favorite dish is the bandeja paisa, or Paisa platter, which includes rice, beans, ground beef, plantain, sausage, chicharrón (friend pork skin), arepa, avocado and a fried egg.

Sancocho, a stew that is typical of Cali and the southwest, is often prepared on special occasions or weekends. Another hardy dish, it usually contains chicken, fish or oxtail, plantains, yuca, potatoes, cilantro and spices.

Both Pacific and Atlantic coastal cuisine is unsurprisingly heavy on spicy fish and lobster, often accompanied by coconut rice. Seafood is generally difficult to find inland.

In the Llanos, or eastern plains, where large ranches and vaqueros (cowboys) punctuate the open landscape, barbequed meat or asado is the main staple, and the most common dish is ternera llanera, barbequed veal.

In Nariño Department, bordering Ecuador, adventurous meat-lovers can also try fried or roasted cuy, or guinea pig. Though cuy is generally consumed in the household, many tourist-oriented restaurants have it on offer.

Produce:

Particularly pleasing is Colombia’s abundance of delicious exotic fruits, many of which do not have names in English. Lulo and guanabana make particularly good juices, and curuba (banana passion fruit), feijoa, mamey, guayabamanzana (hybrid between guava and apple), and nispero, among many others, are all worth a try.

Vegetables are rather hard to come by in Colombia, and vegetarians may find it difficult to find satisfying options in restaurants aside from arepas, rice, beans, and potatoes.

Beverages:

By far the most famous of all Colombian beverages is of course their internationally consumed coffee. Be warned, however, that coffee quality varies, and your tinto (small black coffee) may be weaker than expected. The word tinto can also mean a glass of red wine, but avoid Colombian wines – Chilean and Argentine wines are widely available and are of a much higher quality.

Other alcoholic drinks of Colombian origin that are indeed worth trying include aguardiente, sugar-cane alcohol; guarapo, a drink made of fermented fruits and sugar; canelazo, a warm, fruity drink made with aguardiente and cinnamon; refajo, a mixed drink of rum or beer and cream soda; and chicha, a fermented corn drink made by indigenous in the Andes.  Of course national beers are also widely available.

If alcohol isn’t your thing, there are also many non-alcoholic drink options that are worth a try. Colombian hot chocolate is made with a special pitcher and a molinillo for stirring, and is often served with cinnamon and cheese. Aguapanela is a drink of dissolved sugarcane in hot water with lime juice and sometimes cheese added in for flavor. Both Champus and Lulada are thick drinks that utilize Colombia’s wondrous spread of unique fruits, and Salpicon, which translates into large splash, is a refreshing drink of soda and chopped fruit.  Coca-cola and other sodas are available everywhere as well.

Where to eat on the cheap:

Like its neighboring countries, many restaurants in Colombia offer inexpensive multi-course set lunches, which usually include soup, breaded or barbequed meat, rice, french fries, a small salad and grilled plantains. This is the best way for the traveler on a budget to fill up on hearty, hot food. These and other restaurants do not usually have printed menus, so if your Spanish is rusty, it might be useful to have a pocket dictionary handy while the server gives you the run-down on what is available. Colombians tend to take siesta in the afternoon, so most lunch spots serve meals between 12:00 and 2:00 pm.

For a sweet, cheap dessert, street vendors sell obleas, large circular wafers, with arequipe (sweet, caramelized milk syrup) or fruit sauces to spread on, then another wafer on top. Mangoes, watermelon, pineapple and coconuts are commonly sold on the street.

International fare:

Should you tire of Colombian food and require something different, the three big cities of Bogotá, Cartagena and Medellín offer quite a few nice restaurants with international fare to choose from.