The 20 best typical dishes of Colombia (and how to prepare them)

One of the aspects that every tourist wants to know about the country they are going to visit is its gastronomy. Nobody can resist a dish full of color and flavor, which, in addition to being a typical food, represents the essence of that nation and is part of its culture and tradition. Every region has endless customs that are reflected in the dishes that are prepared since each ingredient has a meaning and origin that, when put together, create an alternative to know more about that location.

Globalization has contributed to the fact that we find mixtures of different gastronomic cultures around the world. As in the case of Mexican food in India, Asian cuisine in European countries, and a North American and African culinary culture in Latin America. This is the case of Colombia, which is a nation with a hodgepodge of foods and culinary traditions indigenous to the region, as well as Spanish and African.

To know a little more about the gastronomy of this country, we bring in this article a list with

the best typical dishes of Colombian cuisine that you must try when you decide to go sightseeing in this nation.

• We recommend you read: "The 10 most typical dishes of Mexican cuisine"

Colombian gastronomy: what are the most traditional Colombian foods?

Even though there is no consensus on which is the representative dish of Colombian culinary culture, Yes, there is a great variety of very traditional dishes that encompasses the traditional of each region, since Colombia is blessed with fertile lands where a wide variety of tropical fruits and vegetables are grown.. In the same way, it has good cattle and excellent quality fish, which gives rise to succulent dishes.

Colombian cuisine is characterized by being a very simple meal, without spicy or seasonings. In simple words, it is a gastronomy full of very natural flavors typical of each region and which we will learn about below.

1. Atollado rice

Rice is one of the staples of the Colombian diet, since it was brought by the Spanish, this cereal is the base of many preparations and atollado rice is one of them. It consists of a kind of very moist risotto that contains chicken, meat or pork, to which potatoes, onion and peppers are added.

It is a dish that was consumed by the black workers who collected cane in the haciendas of the century XIX, they prepared it with the leftovers of their patrons, currently it is one of the typical dishes of the Valley of the Cauca.

2. Rondon

It is a typical dish of the Caribbean islands of San Andrés and Providencia, which is a soup that is prepared with fillet of fish or other sea fruit, snails, sweet potato, yucca, potato and bananas are added baked with coconut milk and Pepper. It is served with coconut rice and slices (fried banana in slabs).

3. Tray paisa

Perhaps it is the most internationally known Colombian dish and with which we can relate to Colombia. It is traditional from the Paisa Region which is made up of Jardín, Medellín, Antioquia and Guatapé. It is a very abundant dish that contains white rice, corn, banana, chorizo, avocado, ground or minced meat, fried egg, red beans, pork rinds and arepa.

4. Overbarriga

It is a dish typical of Santander and Norte de Santander, departments located northwest of Colombian territory. Its name is due to the type of meat that comes near the belly of the beef. It is prepared in the oven with tomatoes, garlic and seasonings. It is usually accompanied with yucca and potatoes.

5. Cheese nickname

It is a broth that is prepared with yucca, onion, lemon, garlic and coastal cheese, You can also add coconut milk or bleo de chupa leaves, which gives it a unique aroma and flavor. It is typical of the Caribbean coast in particular Sucre, Córdoba and Cartagena de Indias. A broth that fills you with warmth and love for Colombian gastronomy.

6. sancocho

It is a very popular dish in many countries, but in Colombia it is very special since it contains various types of meats which can be beef, chicken and even fish, to which different vegetables such as potatoes or potatoes are added and Yucca. Corn and banana are also added, it is accompanied with white rice. It is an original dish from Valle del Cauca that includes the cities of Tuluá, Buenaventura and Cali.

7. arepas

When you talk about arepas, you usually think of Venezuela since, in this country, it is one of the main foods on the daily menu. But the arepa is also indigenous to Colombia where it represents both a companion and a solo meal. Colombian arepas are very varied, so we have:

The arepa de choclo that is made with sweet corn and stuffed with cheese; Egg arepa, consists of a fried arepa which is filled with a cracked egg and is fried again. There is also the cheese arepa, cheese is added to the dough and it is cooked.

8. Fritanga

A dish that bears a powerful name and that you know will fill you up and leave you satisfied. It is a typical dish throughout the Colombian territory. It consists of a variety of grilled meat where you can find chicken, pork rinds, chorizo ​​and beef, it is accompanied with banana, yucca, arepa and corn.

9. Fried snapper with patacones and coconut rice

This dish of Colombian gastronomy is a representation of the various cultures that the country has. Banana and rice come from Spain, coconut from Africa and snapper is native to the region. The fish is fried, the banana is cut into slices, crushed and placed in oil, the dish is completed with rice cooked with coconut milk.

10. Suckling pig

It is one of the dishes that most attracts the attention of tourists due to its peculiar presentation since the entire animal is placed on the table. The skin of the suckling pig is not removed and it is stuffed with spices, peas and rice, it is cooked in the oven for ten hours, it is served with arepas.

11. Ajiaco

It is a white soup that is made with sour cream, corn, chicken and various types of potatoesIt is customary to serve it accompanied by avocado and white rice. It is one of the best known gastronomies in the capital of the country, that is, the city of Bogotá and the Andes Mountains, but it has spread throughout the country.

12. Big Ass Ants

A very curious name for an equally intriguing dish because, as its name indicates, it is made from ants, but do not close your mind and if you are adventurous you should try. This is a very popular delicacy in Santander, Bucaramanga, Floridablanca, San Gil and Barichara, these ants are characterized by being leaf eaters and have a unique flavor. They can be eaten whole, fried, roasted in salt or crushed.

13. Pandebono

It consists of a bread made with corn flour, cheese, egg and cassava starch, on many occasions stuffed with guava paste, which gives it a unique touch. It is traditional from Valle del Cauca.

14. Patarashca

Patarashca, also known as Patarasca, is a dish with a unique flavor, very typical of the Amazon region. It consists of a fish that is seasoned with a kind of stew that is made with saffron or turmeric, then wrapped in a banana leaf and cooked directly on the stove or under the coals, which gives it that taste so peculiar.

15. Seafood casserole

It is a very traditional dish on the Colombian coastsIt is a stew that is made with coconut milk, vegetables, varieties of fish, oysters, shrimp, squid, lobsters and spices.

16. Stuffed potatoes

The potato is a very typical food in many regions of Latin America, but the Colombian potato is special, it is filled with a stew made with ground meat, tomato, rice, egg and spices.

17. Tamales

It is a very popular dish in Colombian gastronomy, although it may be better known in Mexico. It is made with rice, eggs, potatoes, peas, pork, chicken, flour and carrots. The dough is made and filled with the stew, wrapped in banana leaves.

18. Changua

Changua is a soup that is consumed for breakfast as it is ideal to give energy to the body, it is made with water, milk, coriander, egg and onion. It is very typical of the Colombian Andean region and is usually accompanied with hot chocolate and bread.

19. Mamona

In the Colombian plains it is very traditional to eat this dish that It is a beef that is cooked on a spit, It is accompanied with potatoes, yucca, banana and a preparation based on chili is added.

20. Put on

It is a dish of African origin known for being a soup based on dried and salty meat to which yucca, onion, lemongrass and coconut milk are added. It is very common in the Colombian Pacific region, especially where there are people who work logging.

Colombian food has the characteristic of being little elaborate dishes but with a lot of flavor, without unusual ingredients, the simpler the preparation, the better it will be. Potatoes, rice and bananas are very common foods in Colombian gastronomy since they usually come as a garnish, while in other dishes they are the main star.