Colombian cuisine is a culinary tradition of six main regions within Colombia: Insular, Caribbean, Pacific, Andean, Orinoco, and Amazonian. Colombian cuisine varies regionally and is influenced by Indigenous Colombian, Spanish, and African cuisines, with a slight Arab influence in some regions.
History of Colombian food Colombian food is a unique blend of indigenous, European traditions, and Afro-Caribbean influences. The two largest indigenous groups prior to European conquest were the Tairona, who lived along the Caribbean coast, and the Muisca, who lived in the highlands to the South. Arepas, made from ground corn, is one of the oldest cooked dishes in Colombian cuisine and a popular modern dish. It is believed that the name derives from the word for corn in the Chibcha languages.
Regional cuisines
Colombian dishes and ingredients vary widely by region; however, some of the most common ingredients include an endless variety of staples: cereals such as rice and maize; tubers such as potato and cassava; assorted legumes; meats, including beef, chicken, pork, and goat; and fish and other seafood. Colombian cuisine also features a wide variety of tropical fruit.
Among the most representative appetisers and soups are sancocho de gallina (chicken soup with root vegetables), of beef, of pork ribs or triphasic, sancocho of fish, the ajiaco (potato and corn soup), patacones (fried green plantains), and buñuelos (Christmas season deep fried dough balls).
Representative snacks and breads are arepas (corn cakes), tortas de choclo, almojábanas, pandebonos, aborrajados (fried sweet plantains with cheese), empanadas, and mogollas.
Representative main courses are bandeja paisa, lechona tolimense, tamales, and fish dishes such as arroz de lisa, especially in coastal regions where suero, costeño cheese, peto costeño made from white corn, kibbeh, and carimañolas are also eaten.
Representative side dishes are papas criollas al horno (roasted Andean potatoes), papas chorreadas (potatoes with messy cheese), and arroz con coco (coconut rice). Organic food is a current trend in big cities, although in general, the country's fruits and vegetables are very natural and fresh.
Representative desserts are natillas, bocadillo made of guayaba (guava jelly), cocadas (coconut balls), casquitos de guayaba (candied guava peels), torta de natas, obleas, flan de arequipe, roscón, milhoja, brevas (preserved in syrup) con arequipe, and tres leches cake (sponge cake soaked in 3 types of milk).
Typical sauces are hogao, a tomato onion sauce, and ají, a spicy raw cilantro-based sauce used as a condiment for many dishes and sides, which can be used for most foods. Ají sauce comes in many different varieties based on region and ranges from a sweet flavour to very spicy. Ají picante can range from 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville.
Some representative beverages are coffee (tinto), aromáticas, champúss, cholados, luladas, avena colombiana, sugarcane juice, aguapanela, chocolate caliente, and fresh fruit juices (often made with sugar and water or milk as batidos).
There are a large variety of dishes that take into account the differences in regional climates. For example: In Bogotá and the Andean region of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, ajiaco is the traditional dish. It is also a type of soup made with chicken and potatoes and flavoured with a locally grown, subtle herb called "guasca". Caldo de costilla, or caldo de res, is a beef broth soup made with beef ribs, corn, and potatoes, and is often consumed for breakfast on cold mornings. In the city of Medellín, the typical dish is bandeja paisa. It includes beans, rice, ground meat, or carne asada, chorizo, fried eggs, arepa, and chicharrón. It is usually accompanied by avocado, tomatoes, and special sauces. In the city of Cali, the most traditional dish is "sancocho de gallina", a soup composed mostly of chicken, plantains, corn, coriander, yuca root, and other seasonings. Sancocho is usually served with a portion of rice, tostadas (fried plantains), a chicken leg covered in hogao (a tomato and onion sauce), and a slice of avocado. The city is also known for its empanadas (a fried corn dough filled with potatoes and meat), or (a fried ball of plantain filled with chicharron, also known as pork rinds), pandebono (a delicious cheese bread made with yucca dough), and aborrajados (sweet, ripe fried plantains filled with cheese and served with guava paste). On the Caribbean coast, spicy dishes, including fish and lobster, can be found. Coconut rice is a common dish in coastal cities. The cuisine of the Caribbean is also influenced by Arab traditions, with dishes such as Kibbeh. In the Andean region of Santander's (Norte de Santander and Santander), the cuisine of these region has, among others, the Santander mute, the exotic culona ants, the Prochilodus magdalenae (bocachico), the Pseudoplatystoma magdaleniatum (bagre), and cebollitas ocañeras. In the Tolima region, the Tamales Tolimenses are a delicacy. These tamales are made of corn dough and feature peas, carrots, potatoes, rice, chicken, pork, and various spices. They are wrapped in plantain leaves and boiled for three to four hours. Pandebono is eaten for breakfast with hot chocolate. In the Andean region of Nariño, a traditional dish is broiled guinea pig (cuy asado), influenced by Inca cuisine. In the Llanos, barbecued meats, such as the "ternera llanera", and river fish like the "amarillo", are commonly eaten. In the Amazonas, the cuisine is influenced by Brazilian and Peruvian traditions. Inland, the dishes reflect a mix of Amerindian and European cuisine and use the products of local agriculture, cattle farming, and river fishing. Such is the case with the sancocho soup in Valledupar and Arepas, a corn-based bread-like patty. Local species of animals, like the guartinaja, are part of the Wayuu culture. On the Islands of San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina, the main dish is rondon, a seafood dish made of coconut milk, fish, conch, cassava root (yuca), sweet potato, white yams, and pumpkin, seasoned with chilli peppers and herbs. They also have crab soup, which is considered a delicacy and is made with the same ingredients as rondon but without the fish.
Piqueteaderos are rustic eateries that serve a variety of fried foods and specialties on platters to share. Offerings can even include huesos cerdos (pig bones) and tarta de seso (brain pie), as well as fried dishes, morcilla, corn on the cob, and other foods common to Colombia.
Dishes and foods Appetizers and side dishes Name Image DescriptionAborrajadodeep-fried plantains stuffed with cheeseArepasground maize dough divided into balls and pan-fried or grilled corn cakesArroz con cocorice with coconut and raisinsButifarras soledeñas sausage from Soledad, AtlánticoCarimañola yuca fritter stuffed with ground meat, onion and seasoningsChicharrondeep fried pork rindChunchullopig, lamb, cow's small intestineEmpanadassmall fritters, made with a mixture of shredded meat, pork, beef, or chickenHogaocriollo sauceThe image contains: a table with patacones and hogaoHormigas culonas large roasted ants, a santandereanas food from Colombia's Santander DepartmentLentil soup(Sopa de lentejas)a standard meal in many Colombian kitchens. The basic method is to soak the lentils for a few hours before adding chopped onion, garlic, and sometimes diced or grated carrots. It is then served with avocado, rice, tomato, and sweet plantainPatacones green plantain fried or deep fried squished and fried Pepitoria santandereanarice from Santander featuring goat kid bloodQueso blancowhite cheese, also referred to as queso frescoSueroa topping similar to sour creamTamalea typical Colombian preparation that has many regional variants
Pastries and baked goods
Achira are made from achira flour (native to the region) instead of wheat flour Almojábana, small cheese buns made with corn flour and cuajada Bollos (tubes of ground maize -similar to Italian polenta- or from scratched mandioc/cassava, served with coastal cheese and sometimes whey or butter) Buñuelos deep-fried dough balls made on Christmas season Carimañolas (like empanadas but made up of manioc) Garullas (corn bread roll) Pan de sagú (sago bread) Pandebono made with cheese made with cassava flour and Costeño cheese Pan de maíz similar to cornbread Pan de queso (cheese bread, made with cassava starch, corn flour, cheese, butter, sugar) Pan de yuca (baked cheese bread made with cassava flour) Roscón (a soft and sweet bagel filled with either Arequipe or guava jam)
Varieties of arepa
Arepa boyacense Arepa de arroz Arepa de huevo Arepa de maiz Arepa de queso Arepa de yuca Arepa ocañera Arepa paisa (antioqueña) Arepa santandereana Arepa valluna Sweet corn arepa Brown rice and sesame seed arepa Rice arepas (oreja de perro)
Fruit Colombia is home to numerous tropical fruits that are rarely found elsewhere. Several varieties of bananas include a very small, sweet version. Other fruit varieties grown in Colombia include apple, pear, grape, blackberry and strawberry.
Fruit and juice stands are found across Colombia, particularly on the Caribbean coast. Being a tropical country, Colombia produces a large variety of fruits, such as:
Annona cherimola, cherimoya (chirimoya) Annona muricata, soursop (guanábana) Annona squamosa, sugar-apple (anón) Acrocomia aculeata (tamaca) Aiphanes horrida (corozo) Bactris gasipaes, peach-palm (chontaduro) Banana, murrapos, mini-banana (banano), Borojoa patinoi (borojó) Carambola, starfruit (carambolo) Carica papaya (papaya) Cashew (marañon) Citrullus lanatus, watermelon (sandia or patilla) Citrus × aurantiifolia, key lime, acid lime (limero or limonero) Citrus × latifolia, Persian lime (limón Tahití) Citrus × limon, lemon (limón) Citrus reticulata, mandarin orange (mandarina) Citrus × sinensis, orange (naranja) Cocos nucifera, coconut (coco) Eugenia stipitata, araçá-boi (arazá) Feijoa sellowiana, pineapple guava (feijoa) Garcinia mangostana, Mangosteen (mangostino) Inga edulis, ice-cream-bean (guama) Mango Manilkara zapota (níspero) Melicoccus bijugatus (mamoncillo) Passiflora edulis, passion fruit (maracuyá) Passiflora ligularis, banana passionfruit (granadilla) Passiflora quadrangularis (badea) Passiflora tarminiana, banana passionfruit (curuba ecuatoriana) Passiflora tripartita (curuba) Persea americana, avocado (aguacate) Physalis peruviana, cape gooseberry (uchuva) Pineapple (piña) Piñuela Pitaya, dragon fruit (pitahaya) Pouteria sapota, mamey sapote (zapote costeño) Psidium cattleyanum, strawberry guava (arazá rojo) Psidium guajava, apple guava (guayaba) Psidium guineense, guinea guava (guayaba ágria) Quararibea cordata (zapote sudamericano) Rubus glaucus, blackberry (mora) Solanum quitoense, naranjilla (lulo) Spondias purpurea (Ciruela or cocota) Strawberry (fresa) Syzygium jambos, malabar plum (pomarrosa) Tamarindus indica, tamarind (tamarindo) Tree tomato, tamarillo (tomate de árbol) Vasconcellea pubescens, mountain papaya (papayuela)
Main courses Arroz con Pollo consists of seasoned rice, chicken, and a variety of vegetables. Bandeja Paisa, a traditional dish from Antioquia, and the "Eje Cafetero", which consists of white rice, red beans, ground beef, plantains, chorizo, morcilla, chicharron, arepa, avocado, and a fried egg. Along with Ajiaco, the bandeja paisa is considered one of the national dishes. Cocido boyacense, culinary preparation from the Altiplano Cundiboyacense. Cuchuco, a thick soup made of wheat, fava beans, potatoes, ribs, and peas, is from Boyacá. Also barley or corn soup. Cuy asado, broiled guinea pig, accompanied by potatoes and popcorn. It is the traditional dish in Nariño.