Gastronomy Typical Colombian Dishes

• Ajiaco: A soup with chicken, potatoes of three different varieties, corn on the cob and a herb called “guasca”, served with capers and cream, and accompanied by avocado. This is a Bogotá speciality.

• Arroz atollado: Typical rice from the Valle del Cauca region, prepared with “hogao”, chicken, pork and potatoes, decorated with small “chicharrones” on top. It has the consistency of a thick soup, similar to a risotto.

• Arroz con coco: Brown rice, typical of the Caribbean coast, made with grated coconut, included as an accompaniment to some dishes such as fried fish.

• Bandeja paisa: Typical dish from Antioquia, consisting of frijoles (red beans), minced beef, chorizo (similar to sausage), white rice, patacón (fried plantain), chicharrón (fried pork rind), arepa, avocado and a fried egg on top. Is found almost everywhere.

• Bistec a caballo: Beef stake with a tomatoe and onion sauce and served with fried eggs on top.

• Carne asada: grilled beef served with rice, potato chips, or yucca.

• Changua: A light breakfast soup made of milk, containing an egg, a calao (toasted bread), coriander and potatoes.

• Chicharrón: Crisp fried pork rinds.• Chunchullo: Beef tripe, boiled and then fried.• Churrasco: A large roast or grilled beef tenderloin served

with rice, potato chips, or yucca. Usually served with “chimichurri” sauce.

• Fritanga: A popular dish often sold in street stalls and roadside restaurants. May include chicharrón, morcilla (pork tripe stuffed with rice and peas), chorizo and longaniza (two types of sausages), bofe (beef lung), corazón (beef heart), hígado (beef liver), papa criolla (a small, yellow potato), papa salada (boiled potato sprinkled with salt), plátano maduro (ripe plantain) and mazorca (corn on the cob).

• Lechona: A whole pig carcass, stuffed with its own meat, rice and peas, baked and served with a piece of crunchy pork skin in each plate.

• Mute: A soup typical to Santander, prepared from pork, beef and tripe with potatoes, corn and other vegetables.

• Empanadas: Fried corn dough stuffed with meat and potato. Served with lemon and “ají”.

• Papas chorreadas: Baked potatoes with a tomatoe, onion, cream and cheese sauce on top.

• Patacón: Piece of plantain, squashed and then fried, served with “guacamole”, “hogao” or “ají”.

• Sancocho de gallina: A very common soup made with meat, chicken, potatoes, plantain, yucca, corn on the cob and a touch of “cilantro” (coriander).

• Sobrebarriga: Stewed, baked or fried brisket or flank of beef served with rice, potatoes and vegetables.

• Tamal: Chopped pork or chicken meat with carrot and peas, folded in a corn dough, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. It’s served in the leaf (don’t eat it!) and is typical from Tolima, but there are plenty of regional varieties.

• Ternera a la Llanera: One year old veal meat, slowly roasted over a vertical grill, served with baked potatoes, guacamole (avocado topping) and cooked ripen plantain.

• Viudo de Pescado: River fish soup cooked with potatoes, yucca and plantains, typical of Tolima and Huila.

• Carne Desmechada: Also known as “Ropa Vieja” (old clothes). Is a shreded, tender flank steak, trimmed of all fat, stir-fried with tomatoe, onion and garlic. Served with white rice and fries.

Gastronomy Typical Colombian

Beverages• Agua aromática: Herbal water, similar to tea, made with herbs such as mint, camomile or fruits, served after meals or as an alternative for coffee.

• Aguapanela: A drink made of “panela” (Unrefined and uncrystalised raw sugar obtained from sugarcane syrup and sold in brown coloured blocks), melted in hot water.

• Aguardiente: The most popular local alcoholic drink made of sugarcane, flavoured with anise.

• Avena: Cold drink made from oats and milk, with cinnamon and cloves.

• Canelazo: hot drink made of aguardiente, aguapanela and cinnamon.

• Chocolate Santafereño: Speciality from Bogotá, a cup of hot chocolate with cheese inside. This beverage is made with chocolate bars and milk, and the cheese melts inside.

• Kumis: Sweet yoghurt with plain flavour.

• Champús: A cold drink made from corn, lulo fruit and pineapple, typical of Valle del Cauca.

• Chicha: Home-made thick alcoholic beverage obtained by the fermentation of fruit or corn in sugar or panela water.

• Guarapo: Home-made alcoholic beverage obtained by the fermentation of fruit or corn in sugar or panela water.

• Masato: Low-alcohol home-made beverage made of rice, wheat or corn, flavoured with cinnamon and cloves.

• Perico: This is how Bogotanos call a cup of coffee with milk.

• Refajo: An equal mixture of beer and “Colombiana” (the most popular Colombian frizzy drink).

• Sabajón: A thick beverage made of aguardiente, egg and milk.

• Tinto: A small cup of black coffee.• Salpicón: Small pieces of different fruits in a fruit juice

or frizzy drink.• Mazamorra: It´s a mixture of white corn, sugar and

honey, sometimes milk or meat is added.

Gastronomy Typical Colombian Desserts

• Arequipe: Milk pudding made of milk and sugar or panela boiled until thick.

• Arroz con leche: Typical sweet rice dessert with milk and cinnamon.

• Natilla: Typical Christmas dessert made with cornstarch, panela and cinnamon, with a texture similar to flan.

• Postre de natas: Typical dessert made of milk skim, condensed milk and cinnamon.

• Dulce de Tres Leches: A typical dessert made with milk, cream and condensed milk, with a honey topping.

• Manjarblanco: a kind of fudge made of milk, rice and sugar, that comes in a “Mate” (container made of a fruit´s dried crust)

• Brevas con arequipe: figs stuffed with arequipe.• Cocadas: a sweet made of grated coconut and

panela.• Gelatina de pata: A sweet treat made of a cow´s leg,

has a gelatine consistency and recovered with yucca starch.

• Bocadillo Veleño con queso: Bocadillo is a sweet made of guava paste and wrapped in dry banana leaf, often eaten with a piece of white cheese.

• Cuajada con melao: A typical desert, consisting of a piece of cuajada (unsalted, white, fresh cheese wrapped in banana leaf) in panela syrup.

• Obleas: Two thin, crisp “pancakes” with arequipe in the middle.

• Raspao: Ice ball made by scraping a block of ice and adding artificial flavours and colours, usually sold on the streets.

Gastronomy Other Typical Food

• Almojábanas: a sort of small bread made from cornflour and cottage cheese.

• Envueltos de mazorca: dough made with corn, cheese, eggs and cream, wrapped in a corn leaf and then cooked in water.

• Mantecada: cake made of corn flour, butter, eggs and vanilla.

• Pandebono: A small bun made of corn flour, yucca starch and white cheese.

• Pandeyuca: A half-moon bread made of yucca starch and cheese.

• Buñuelos: a small ball of deep fried corn dough and cheese.

• Achiras: small baked snacks made with yucca starch, cheese, eggs, and milk. Frequently sold on the roads.

• Arepa: a white corn toasted or fried pancake.• Arepa de choclo: a yellow corn arepa filled with white

cheese.• Ají: a topping for empanadas, arepas, etc., made with

chilli peppers, onion, cilantro, tomatoes and vinegar.

• Arepa de huevo: a corn arepa filled with an egg and then fried.

• Chontaduro: The fruit of a palm, cooked and eaten with salt; very popular in Valle del Cauca.

• Carimañolas: Yucca-dough pastry filled with cheese or meat, served with a topping called “suero costeño” made from white cheese.

• Yuca frita: Fried Yucca or Cassava.• Hogao: A topping for patacones, arepa, etc., made with

sautéed onion and tomato.• Caldo de Costilla: a stock made with • Chimichurri: a topping for meats made with parsley,

garlic and oil.