So, you’re wondering what Colombian food experiences a journey through this verdant country in the northwest of South America there are to discover?
What are the surprising, delightful and delicious mustn’t miss Colombian food experiences?
Where should you push to travel to discover them?
Well you’ve come to the right place. Here is a comprehensive list of Colombian food experiences you cannot miss. These have all been discovered on Chet’s personal travels around Colombia whilst living there for over a year.
He got to experience the Colombian people, food and places in intimate detail to share with you here.
Regions
Bogotá
Bogotá is the capital of Colombia, a bustling city of 7 million people. Great Colombian food experiences can be discovered everywhere from its dreamy colonial historic center, Calendaria, to its modern sparkling districts of which one is named after Gastronomy, Zona G.
Chicha
Chicha is an alcoholic drink which has its roots in the indegenous cultures of Colombia, its an iconic Andean Colombian food experience. Chicha is a cultured fermentation of corn (maize) with water and pineapple peels. The pineapple peels contain yeast which initiates an alcoholic fermentation not dissimilar to beer. The fermentation also sours the chicha and depending on its age can range from strong yogurt-like sourness to a little vinegary. The final product is a thick sour alcoholic drink that is often sweetened with sugar or panela (the Colombian sweetener of choice, dried sugar cane juice) and fruits such as strawberries, mango and peaches.
If you want to experience Chicha, Colombia's capital, Bogotá, is a good place to start discovering it. There are a series of narrow streets from which you could jump from one chicha spot to another nearby an area called Chorro De Quevedo.
Ajiaco Santafereño
Bogotá, Colombia's capital, influenced by both Andean and Spanish cuisines is the proud inventor of the soup, Ajiaco Santafereño. If you asked any Bogotáno ‘What must I try whilst I’m here?’ they’ll certainly tell you that Ajiaco is a mustn't miss food experience.
So is there anything new to discover about this Colombian food?
The twist that makes Ajiaco Santafereño a unique food experience is the use of the Colombian Andean herb Guasca and the starchy root vegetable arracacha which adds both texture and sweetness to the soup.
Ajiaco Santafereño is then finished with chicken, potatoes and a balance of salty capers with tangy sour cream.
The best place to try an authentic Ajiaco in Bogotá is at the Colombian food institution called La Puerta Falsa in the Candalaria district of Bogota. It’s a small restaurant that offers an immersive Colombian food experience within its old wooden aesthetic.
Cundinamarca
To the North of the capital of Bogotá is the Colombian department of Cundinamarca. This frontier between Bogota and Cundinamarca marks the start of the altiplano-cundiboyacense, a large flat table on the roof of the Andes. The land here is green, fertile and dotted with cows like an alpine postcard. In the picturesque town of Guatavita, named after a nearby lake that began the legend of El Dorado, one can discover a variety of Colombian food experiences also found throughout Cundinamarca.
Masato
A Colombian food experience similar to Chicha, but lighter and less intense is Masato. It’s a lightly fermented corn drink made in iconic clay pots called Mollos (Mo-jo-s). It’s Chet’s Colombian drink of choice after discovering it in another small town in Cundinamarca called Chia. Masato sparkles in your mouth and leaves a refreshing bright sensation.
Changua
Want to discover a classic Colombian breakfast? Then, Changua is certainly a food experience you're going to want to try.
Changua is perhaps most popular in Cundinamarca, it consists of a hot bowl of salted milk in which eggs have been poached and topped with freshly chopped coriander (cilantro).
Feijoa
Feijoa juice is a delicious Colombian food experience to be discovered country wide, however, the Feijoa fruit only grows in cool conditions and is thus abundant in the areas surrounding Bogota. Feijoa has juicy white flesh, refreshing chardonnay acidity, delicate bitterness and a flavor that can only be described as Feijoa!
Granadilla
The catalog of Colombian fruit experiences to be discovered is endless, but a thick chapter of this catalog is reserved for passiflora - passion fruits. One type of Colombian passion fruit includes Granadilla. Granadilla has a speckled orange shell that can be cracked open like an egg, inside are seeds surrounded by a juicy flesh just like a classic passionfruit. Unlike a normal passionfruit however, the flesh is colorless, translucent and sweet with little acidity.
You see Colombians slurping the juicy seeds straight from the shell of a Granadilla and tossing its shell into a bin, perhaps like a banana.Certainly a cool Colombian food experience.
Mora
Colombians go crazy for another fruit juice, blended with milk is an amazing Colombian food discovery. The mora fruit a.k.a the Andean Black Berry is native to the cool forests of Cundinamarca and indeed many parts of Colombia. Mora’s have a deep purple hue and taste intensely of black berries, like a blackberry concentrate. Mora’s don’t have the sweetness of a blackberry however, they are in fact tart and thus, delicious paired with something sweet like bananas or added sugar. That said, Chet often likes the tart fruits just as they are!
Oblea
A nice Oblea is a fun street food experience to discover in Colombia. Although Obleas can be found all over Latin America, the Colombian version has a few nice twists including the optional addition of Mora jam and fresh Arequipe, a type of dulce de leche, which tastes great made from Andean milk.
Cuajada Con Melao
On the theme of great Colombian Andean dairy experiences is Cuajada Con Melao. Cuajada is a fresh cow's cheese that is smooth and a little milky. In Combia it’s paired with Melao, a type of light molasses which imparts a rich sweetness and a hint of bitterness to complement the Cuajada. It’s another simple but perfectly balanced match of Colombian flavors, sweet creamy bitter. Cuajada con melao is usually eaten as a snack which can be discovered being served by many pop up food stalls by the roadside.
Boyacá
Traveling further north into the altiplano-cundiboyacense is the Colombian department of Boyacá. Famed for its deep culture, unique foods and fertile agriculture, Boyacá is a must visit food for those looking to discover new Colombian food experiences. A beautiful town in the heart of Boyaca, only a bus ride from Bogotá, is Villa De Leyva. This town offers a plethora of foodie diosveries among its cobbled streets and boutique shops.
Colombian Wine
Discovering wine in Colombia was a great surprise. The climate of Colombia is tropical and generally not suited to Mediterranean crops. However, in a small dry enclave, almost desert like next to Villa De Leyva, exists a climate that can produce rich red wines. The extreme altitude of 2000m plus also enhances flavour as intense sunshine pours onto the knotted vines. Common Colombian red wine varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, merlot and for white wines Sauvignon Blanc.
Colombian wine production isn’t huge, thus is still rare to find even in Colombia itself. Thus, one of the best places to discover Colombian wine is in Villa de Leyva where there is a wine bar called ‘Marqués de Villa De Leyva’. The wines come directly from local farms. Try their Grand Cru in house!
Mazamorra
As much Colombian as it is a South American food experience, Mazamorra is Latin America's answer to rice pudding. Mazamorra is a mixture of boiled milk, white corn and sugar finished with cinnamon. It's a particular treat in Boyaca due to the quality of the corn and milk there and can be discovered at most small restaurants all day around.
Arepa Boyacense
In Colombia the humble arepa can be discovered in many forms which at its simplest is a corn flatbread. Arepas Boyacenses provide a unique Colombian food experience by being made of sweet white corn stuffed with oozing cheese! When cooked over an open flame to give it a little char there is nothing not to love with Arepas Boyacenses!
Whilst in Colombia enjoy Arepa Boyacense on its own or with some masato as a snack on the go.
Espinazo
If you’re looking to discover a more intense Colombian food experience Espinazo should be on your list. Espinazo is a type of stew made from the spinal cord of beef. Traditionally served in a clay bowl in which you’ll find a piece of spine covered in tender white meat.
You’ll likely be able to find Espinazo all over Boyaca. In Villa De Leyva specifically there is a farmers market every weekend aimed at locals where you will find authentic Boyaca food that can be enjoyed with a gaseosa (soda) or a pola (beer). Food include espinazo, cuchuco, pata (cows foot) and Pescuezo.
Cuchuco
Cuchuco is a Colombian food experience with its roots in musica cuisine. The muisca are a tribe that dominated the altiplano around Bogota. You can discover Cuchuco soup all over Boyaca in many of the same places you’ll find espinazo too. The soup consists of whole wheat, barley and mashed beans often mixed with many other vegetables like carrots too.
Mute
Mute pronounced Mu-te is another soup with its roots in Colombia's rich musica heritage, however this is more common in the north of Boyaca and Santander departments. It’s a thick soup of stewed tripe and hominy corn. In Boyaca it is completed with potatoes and beef, in Santander pork , vegetables and sometimes goat. Mute is certainly a regional Colombian food experience to be discovered in many forms.
Pescuezo Relleno
Pescuezo Relleno means stuffed chicken necks. Yes, food Colombian experiences in Boyaca can be intense. Pescuezo is a crowd favorite though, for many Colombians the most flavorsome and nutritious part of the chicken often being served to women after giving birth to rebuild their strength! Pescuezo can be discovered all over Boyaca oo.
Peaches
In Colombia there are an endless number of fruit experiences to discover, so European peaches may seem an odd one to add to the list. However, Boyaca is famous for its peaches, there are a few varieties of peaches with different size, shape and sweetness. It’s worth visiting fruit stalls or stopping by stands by the side of the street laden with juicy peaches year round to have a try.
Santander
Driving further north from Boyaca is Santander, a department packed with picturesque towns, like the white city of Barichara, and crazy landscapes. There are many Colombian food experiences to be discovered in Santander influenced by the climate and cultures of the region.
Hormigas Culonas
Hormigas is Spanish for ants and Culonas means ‘big ass’. When fried they are a nice crunchy snack and gateway to insect foodie experiences. They can be discovered on every street or small shop all over Santander.
Carne Oreada
If you are coming to Colombia to eat beef, there is also a whole range of food experiences for you to discover.
In Santander, Carne oreada is a style of cured beef which has been salted, spiced and left to partially dry in the hot Santander sun. It’s then flame grilled to your favorite doneness.
Arepa Santanderiana
As mentioned earlier, in Colombia, this classic corn flatbread can be discovered in many forms and the food experience in Santander has its own unique twist. Arepa Santanderiana is a combination of white corn, yucca flour (which makes the texture bouncy) and ground chicharron (deep fried pork belly)!.
Pepitoria
If you are interested in discovering goat dishes, Pepitoria is the Colombian food experience for you. Peipotira has its roots in Spanish cuisine. In Santander it is a hearty mix of ground goat meat, garlic, eggs, rice, yucca and goat's blood.
Pineapples
Pineapples are endemic to Colombia, with a huge variety of pineapples to discover nationwide, why choose Santander as the highlight for the list of Colombian food experiences?
Just a short drive from the capital of Santander, Bucaramanga is a town called Lebrija which is famous throughout Colombia for the sweetness of its pineapples.
If you want the sweetest pineapple you’ve ever tasted head to Lebrija for the ultimate fruit experience.
Tolima
The road south of Bogotá carves its way through narrow mountain passes into a whole new world of Colombian food experiences. There is so much to discover in the Colombian department of Tolima. You’ll feel the air get hotter as you drive down. You’ll see the mountains part for wide valleys brimming with rice production. You’ll smell wood fire barbeques begin to whaft into your car windows.
Roadside food in Tolima are some of the best food discoveries in Colombia, perhaps even the world. Food experiences range from slow cooked Lechona to the famous Tamale Tolimensis, a hearty breakfast.
Caldo De Costilla
Breakfasts in Colombia are a diverse wonder to discover. In Tolima, Colombians don’t shy away from savory meat heavy breakfasts which includes Caldo de Costilla, a broth made from from beef ribs, potatoes and then showered in finely chopped Coriander (Cilantro) giving it that fragrant kick over the deeper brothy notes. It really is a Colombian food experience to savor at breakfast time.
Lechona
Believe it or not, Lechona, or slow cooked whole pork, is also a breakfast in Tolima! Itreally is a full on, authentic, Colombian food experience to be chowing down a plate of slow roast pork with the locals first thing in the morning.
In Colombia, Lechona can be discovered in town centers or even the road sides of Colombia in the early morning .
Typically, it’s prepared the night before, a whole pig stuffed with rice, peas and slowly cooked over a hard wood fire for 12 hrs. Though if you're lucky, maybe you’ll find one stuffed with pure chickpeas (garbanzo beans). Chickpeas offer a creamier and richer filling for the Lechona and unique to Tolima.
Tamales Tolimenses
This is another Tolima breakfast experience that takes you into the heart of Colombian food discovery. It’s a deceivingly simple dish that strikes the perfect balance between silky textured rice, fall off the bone meat and a light moist steamed sensation.
Typically made with chicken thigh on the bone, pork fat and rice there are variations that can be found. The ingredients are then wrapped in plantain leaf and gently steamed in a pot before being served fresh to hungry Colombians in the morning. Sometimes it may even come with a combination of spices like achiote and aromatic spices that include cumin.
Antioquia
By area, Antioquia is the 6th largest department of Colombia and the largest in the populated center of the country. It runs from the Caribbean coast deep into Colombia's mountainous heart and as such, Antioquia has a great diversity of Colombian food experiences.
The capital of Antioquia is Medellin, a vibrant city with a tonne of food to disocover especially around the Poblado area.
Chichrron & Bandeja Paisa
Ah Chicharon, crunchy pork belly. It’s crispy, fatty and juicy all in one mouthful. It’s South America's comfort food and pretty much ubiquitous. So why mention it under Antioquia?
Well, when you fly to Medellin and exit Rio Negro Airport with an empty belly, the only thing on your mind should be - where is La Cantaleta! They serve excellent chicharron!
Arepa Paisa
There are many types of arepa in Colombia each with their own style. Arepa Paisa is one of the simpler, some may even say purer, styles. It’s ground white corn mixed with a creamy semi-soft cheese (salt can be added too) cooked over an open flame. The highlight is that flavour of pure corn which, when crispy, can taste like popcorn.
Eje Cafetero - The Coffee Zone
The Eje Cafetero is a region of Colombia famed for its production of coffee. Eje cafetero means ‘coffee zone’ and is to Colombia what Tuscany is to iconic Italian wine landscapes.
The cultural landscapes of the Eje Cafetero stretch as far as the eye can see. Here you’ll find organized rows of coffee plants contouring around hillsides that rise into the clouds, soft orange sunsets and bird song in the bamboo forests hugging rivers. The heart of the Eje cafetero spans three states, Risaralda, Caldas and Quindio although the region can also be considered to include the neighboring Northwest Tolima, where it borders snow capped mountains called Nevados, Antioquia and part of El Valle.
Needless to say, the thing to try in La Zona Cafetera is coffee.
Bolivar & Sucre
Heading to the north of Colombia we encounter a department on the Caribbean Sea. The department of Bolivar, which is named after the great liberator of South America, Simon Bolivar. Its capital is Cartagena which has unmissable foodie experiences in captivating locations with restaurants such as Mar y Zielo, El Carmen and Celele serving up gastronomic delights.
Fruit wines
All around the coast one can find fruit wines. Of particular significance is the coastal palm fruit called Corozo. During the Corozo harvest season in September a festival is held in the town of Corozal in the department of Sucre. The fruit itself is sour and tastes like berries.
Another popular fruit in Colombia is Mammoncillo, it is related to lychees but with a more yogurt flavor and firmer texture. Mammoncillo can be made into a fruit wine which is mildly alcoholic at around 6% and tastes wonderful!
Mamoncillo wine alongside other tropical fruit wines can be found in many coastal towns, including the historic Mompos.
La Posta Negra
La Posta Negra is a Cartagena classic. It’s Charred beef which is slowly stewed in a black sauce containing garlic and onions,
Cesar
Traveling around coastal Colombia sets you between the sea and the mountains, between rainforests and deserts. This sets the scene for a variety of unusual Colombian food experiences and a visit to Cesars’ remote capital, Valledupar, can be rewarding.
Iguana Arepa
Among a host of classic Caribbean Colombian foods including fried yucca with sour cream (suero costeno), Valledupar has a taste for bush meats too including Iguana. You can find stalls on the side of the street selling grilled Iguana in an arepa and even freshwater turtles. But a word of caution as always with bush meats, they do take from the wild and contain unknown parasites.
Atlantico
The mouth of Colombia’s main river, the mighty Magdalena, meets the sea at Bocas De Ceniza en Barranquilla, the capital of the department of Atlantico.
Here one can enjoy a range of Carribean Colombian foods, specialisms being Butifarra, a round beef sausage with its roots in Spanish cuisine.
Córdoba & Sucre
Mote de Queso
Mote de queso is a soup from the sub region of Montes de Maria in the mountainous coastal departments of Scure and Cordoba. It is a starchy soup made from yams boiled with cheese and local herbs such as Bleo.
Magdalena
The Colombian department of Magdalena can be found on the Caribbean Coast and as such, all the classic food of the Colombian Caribbean can be found here, especially in its bustling capital Santa Marta.
Arepa con Juevo
Arepa con Juevo is yet another great variation of the Colombian Arepa - perhaps the best Colombian Arepa?
It’s a thin white cornbread split in two with a raw egg skillfully placed in inside before deep frying. It’s a wonder just to watch them being made, the quick hands of the Arepa masters catching the raw egg in the split arepa like a baseball mitt.
The arepa can of course be stuffed with other juicy fillings such as pulled beef or chicken.
Either way this is a stunning version of Arepa, crispy on the outside and juicy inside.
Carimañola
Carimañola are deep fried quenelles of mashed yuca stuffed with a melty cheese. Carimañola is mind blowing with some sour cream!
Coca Leaves
Coca leaves are rooted deeply in the culture of the tribes of the Sierra Nevada, offering a mild stimulant much like a green tea. Coca leaves can be chewed or brewed into an infusion, either way the aroma is heady, especially if they've been freshly toasted on hot rocks.
The road from Santa Marta to Tayrona national park has many roadside stalls frequented by tribe members who sell their Coca leaves to shops, perhaps you can find a bunch there.
Cienega
Cienaga isn’t a food, it's the name of a town itself named after a huge brackish mangrove swamp between Brranquilla and the Sierra Nevada mountains. You’ll see signs for cienaga sea food all around Santa Marta, the capital of Magdalena.
But what’s special? Well, if it’s the real deal we’re talking 20 + cm prawns!
Valle De Cauca
Manjar Blanco
The classic sweet treat of Valle de Cauca is Manjar Blanco. Its origins are in Spanish cuisine and is made by boiling milk rice and sugar until it thickens and sets into an addictively creamy and sweet treat. Manjar Blanco i usually served in half a coconut shell.
Pandebono
In Cali, the capital of Valle de Cauca, Pandebono is the stuff songs are written about. One famous reference is in the salsa ‘esto es cuestion de pandebono’.
Breakfast in Cali wouldn’t be complete without chowing down a few Pandebonos in the morning.
Its texture is perhaps its most delicious quality, being a little bouncy and almost gummy bread. What creates this texture of Pandebono is a unique combination of yucca flour corn, wheat, cheese and egg.
Nationwide variations of Pandebono exist including pandeyuca and almojabana. Even the distant looking christmas classic, the Buñuelo, is a deep fried mixture of yucca flour, corn flour and cheese. But despite being a Colombian Christmas classic Buñuelos can be found all year round and taste like cheesy bouncy fried dough balls - amazing!
Chontaduro
Chontaduro is the peach palm fruit and is prolific on the pacific coast of Colombia, which is only a few hours from Cali. Raw, it’s bright orange and rock hard and needs to be boiled in salt water to be made edible. When Chontaduro has softened it takes on a flavor and texture much like a chestnut. Traditionally, honey is added to sweeten and moisten this chestnut like fruit.
However, more modern preparations include slicing Chontaduro thinly and frying it into chips (crisps) or even as the stuffing for raviolis.
No matter how its prepared, rest assured, you’ll be reaping the reward of Chontaduro’s aphrodisiac status among the locals!
Lulada
Lulo is Colombia’s national fruit, it is sour with a very tropical flavor and has a gorgeous texture when prepared as a juice.
In Cali however, they pick it unripe and green to create a cocktail called Lulada which is finished with liquor.
Choco
Heading down to the pacific coast, which you may well do for whale watching, you’ll encounter a whole new world steeped in Afro-Colombian culture, thick coastal jungles and black sandy beaches - this is Choco!
Cocada
The lush, volcanic coastal soils of Choco give rise to vast fields of Coconut Palms. The Choquenos cook the grated coconut with raw cane sugar, called Panela, until it becomes a sticky sweet coconutty mass ready to be folded into a banana leaf as a presentation.
Borojo
A fruit native to the vast coastal jungles of Choco is Borojo, however, it might surprise you that this black pulpy fruit is actually related to coffee!
It tastes nothing like coffee however!
The taste is unique and packs an almost tamarind sourness. Borojo is fantastic in smoothies with a sweetener like honey.
And for those of you wondering about its health benefits, it’s packed with vitamin C, essential minerals and calories.
Amazonas
In the deep south east of Colombia, in a place unconnected by road to any city in the mainland, where the rivers no longer flow towards the Caribbean but rather into the heart of the continent, lies the mighty region of the Amazon rainforest.
In the Colombian Amazon fruits and fish grow in an exotic and massive fashion.
Pirarucu
Pirarucu is a massive and ancient Amazonian fish that can grow up to 3 meters and weigh over 200kg.
Fun fact, the Pirarucu is also an obligate air breather and must come up for a gulp of air to supplement the oxygen absorbed through its gills.
I've also heard there are farms in the Amazon now to raise Pirarucu and prevent overfishing directly from the river. In anycase, it’s an absolutely delicious meaty white fish with a fat layer akin to steak.
Cooked simply, steamed in a banana leaf is all that’s required.
Araca
How might one wash down a hunk of Amazonian Pirarucu fish ? Perhaps with the juice of a native Colombian Amazon fruit, the Araca.
If you like sour fruits, a ripe Araca is an experience to bite into directly. The araca has an intense explosion of acidity which isn’t lemony, more like a concentrated passion fruit and nearly tongue numbing. The flavor of Araca is equally fresh and vibrant but what makes it special is the fruit's gelatinous texture.
In the humid sweaty Amazon, blending it with sugar and cold water makes for a refreshing juice, however, in other parts of Colombia having it as a milkshake is delicious too.
Cupuaçu
If sour fruits aren’t your thing then Amazon offers Cacao. The amazon is the mother of all cacao species and relatives, however, not all of them are best for making into a rich chocolate.
For example, a close relative of Cacao, the Cupuaçu fruit.
Just like Cacao, Cupuacu is harvested as a pod and when cracked open contains seeds covered in white flesh. Unlike Cacao, however, the seeds of Cupuaçu have abundant juicy white flesh with a delicious clean acidity and addictive sweetness.
Although Cupuaçu is still rare and expensive, a good restaurant in the Colombian Amazonian city of Leticia should be able to serve you a smoothie from this unique fruit.
Los Llanos
The grand food trip of Los Llanos is being organized!
Overall
If you’re going to Colombia and have Chetventure’s Complete guide to Colombian food experiences in hand you’ll have a great Colombian foodie time - trust me! This list is always evolving as we continue to explore Colombia but of course, if you discover a must eat on one of your trips we’d love to connect and add your tips too!
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