Colombian cuisine is a diverse and exciting experience. Whether you’re visiting out of town or live in the area, you’ll want to sample the local food and drink culture. Colombia’s culinary traditions and fusion cuisine are as diverse as its landscape. You will see that the dishes you try will surprise and delight you, and you will be surprised by the variety.
Paisa tray
Bandeja paisa, or ‘peasant stew’, is an ancient dish of Colombian cuisine. This food was a low-cost staple food that was meant to give energy to the peasants. Today, it is considered a hearty and hearty food and is made from a variety of ingredients. The staples of this stew include beans, rice, fried pork belly, bananas, and two types of sausages. In its most common version, a fried egg is added to the mixture.
Traditionally, the soup is prepared based on cornmeal rolled with meat and tubers. The meat can be anything from chicken to oxtail and is usually accompanied by herbs, peppers, garlic and chives. This stew is usually served with white rice and a hot sauce.
Cuchuco
Cuchuco is one of Colombia’s most famous dishes and is a classic example of South American indigenous Colombian cuisine. The soup is made from barley, wheat or corn, with vegetables and mashed beans. It is especially popular in the departments of Cundinamarca and Boyacá in Colombia.
Soups are well known in Colombia and contain the ingredients of traditional recipe books. However, the sensory qualities of industrially produced soups differ from those found in local markets. There is potential for product development with these traditional products. There are 82 traditional Colombian soups listed in the Big Book of Colombian Cuisine, including 12 that are specifically from the departments of Boyacá and Cundinamarca.
The typical cuisine of Colombian cuisine is rich in diversity. The Boyaca stew, for example, combines a variety of vegetable ingredients cooked in oil. This soup is usually served with rice, avocado and hogao sauce. A few centuries ago, the dish was introduced to Colombia by Europeans during the conquest. The Spaniards, however, changed the ingredients and made it more expensive.
Three-phase sancocho
Sancocho is a rich three-phase dish that is usually eaten as a main course at lunchtime. It can be served with rice and a side of avocado. Is full of proteins and vitamins. It is a typical Andean dish and is popular in several countries of the continent.
This three-phase dish has many traditional ingredients that become a stew. It can be made with beef, chicken or fish. May also contain bananas and potatoes. It is said to increase energy. The Sancocho recipe can be found here. The following are some traditional ingredients found in Sancocho:
Sancocho is a traditional soup dish found throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It is derived from the Spanish word “sancochar”, which means sancochar. It is also a very common dish in the islands of the Spanish Caribbean. Although it is a traditional soup, each region has a unique version of the dish.
Ajiaco
Ajiaco is a traditional Colombian soup that includes chicken, corn, potatoes and a unique herb. It is also served with fresh avocado, capers, rice and cream. If you have a craving for Colombian cuisine, you should try ajiaco.
When María Elena first moved to Bogotá, she decided to sell ajiaco on the street. She walked all day with her son, serving juices and ajiaco. One day, he lost his son in a car, so he looked for a place to set up his stall. When he was unsuccessful, he looked for one in Concordia Square, but unfortunately, the square closed. Fortunately, María Elena located another place to set up her stall, in the Plaza de la Perseverancia, and people began to pass.
Runny fish
The indigenous Colombian dish, moqueado fish, is one of the country’s most popular and traditional fish dishes. It is a small silverfish, abundant in shallow, brackish coastal waters, and is usually served with fried plantains or coconut rice. It is also popular in mountainous regions, where it is cooked whole and eaten with cassava or cooked plantain.
The world’s largest freshwater fish, the pirarucu, is a common fish dish in the Colombian Amazon. Pirarucu is often fried and wrapped in leaves of Calathea Lutea, a type of banana. The fish is also smoked, in banana leaves and guaco, to give it an extra smoky flavor.
Arequipe is part of Colombian cuisine
Arequipe is a caramel-like sauce native to the Andes and is similar to dulce de leche. It is thick, sour and caramelized, and is served with wafers, a type of unrolled waffle cone . Arequipe is delicious alone or drizzled with ice cream, foster bananas or crispy apple. This sweet treat can be purchased at grocery stores in individual portions.
Arequipe is used in many dishes in Colombia. Most often , it is prepared by cooking a can of sweetened condensed milk in water. This can be done in a regular cooker for 3 to 4 hours, in a pressure cooker for an hour, or in a slow cooker for 8 hours. But, arequipe is also delicious when prepared from scratch. A homemade version tastes much better than one made with boiled condensed milk.
Lechona is part of Colombian cuisine
Lechona, or roast pork, is a traditional Colombian dish and is commonly served with slices of bread. While you can buy a whole pig and roast it yourself at home, it’s best to reserve this treat for special occasions. Traditionally, Colombians prepare Lechona only on special occasions, such as a party or wedding, and it is often served with seasonal salads and sauces. Most restaurants in Colombia cook it fresh for their guests, and most can serve up to 30 people. To prepare it, you will need a full-size pork for roasting, and you will find that most places serve it separately.
Although the dish originates from the department of Tolima, Colombians now serve lechona throughout the country. The dish is stuffed with pork, rice, peas and potatoes, and is traditionally served with arepas. The process of roasting the piglet is labor-intensive and you can expect to spend a few hours preparing it.
Coconut lemonades are part of Colombian cuisine
A non-alcoholic beverage that originated in the coastal region of Colombia, Coconut Lemonade is a tasty and refreshing drink that combines the flavor of coconut and lime with the sweetness of white sugar. The drink is very popular in Colombia and can be found in most restaurants. It is also a popular drink in Korean and Japanese restaurants.
Like lemonade, coconut lemonade is usually consumed at restaurants and beach events, but can be easily prepared at home. For best results, buy coconut cream or unsweetened coconut milk and mix it with cold water to make a soft drink. Once mixed, serve with a straw.
Lechona is a roast suckling pig
The traditional Colombian gastronomic dish made from whole suckling pig is known as Lechona. This dish is prepared by roasting the whole pork. Meat and skin are carefully removed. Some regions use different spices to flavor meat. The meat is then stuffed and wrapped in an omelet, which is then roasted until tender. Some regional variations of suckling pig use raisins or peanuts as ingredients. The dish is also served with white arepa and pork skin.
The dish originated in Tolima, but today it can be found throughout the country. It is traditionally cooked in a clay oven for more than ten hours. It is usually served with curd and arepas. Lechona is one of Colombia’s most popular dishes and is often served during large social gatherings. Usually, a pig makes around 100 servings and cooking the meat can take up to ten hours.