It’s easy to get lost in the abundance of delectable handheld foods from Colombia. As a Colombian American, I fall victim to this trap all the time. When I’m out in places like Queens, New York, or Miami, Florida, I make sure to stop for a handheld treat at a Colombian bakery. Truly, who can resist the crispy cornmeal skin of an empanada or the cheesy, savory insides of a buñuelo? When you’re visiting Colombia, you also can’t miss the rich, vibrant diversity of the plato fuerte, or main-course meals.
Colombia is home to some of the most biodiverse lands on the planet: mountainous coffee farms, arid desert canyons, low grasslands, Amazonian jungles, coastal rainforests, and beautiful beaches. Each region of the country has its own gastronomic culture, with unique interpretations of traditional Colombian dishes, as well as its own cuisine influenced by the local landscapes. Our culinary scene is also deeply influenced by our long-standing history of agricultural production and land cultivation. For families like my own, who have made a living from farming work for generations, food is a ritual. Our most famous entrees, like the bandeja Paisa, a massive meat platter with a wide spread of sides, and arroz atollado, a Colombian fried rice, have histories directly tied to the people who made the meal possible.
Most importantly, Colombia’s culinary scene is an ode to the resilience and strength of our people. Gastronomy tells the varied and important history of this country when our own voices falter. To learn more about the beautiful country of Colombia while you’re there, here’s a guide to the culinary delights you cannot skip.
1. Bandeja Paisa (paisa platter)
- Where to try it: Bandeja Paisa is one of Colombia’s most famous dishes. You can find it at most restaurants that serve traditional Colombian fare in the country, but some stand-out spots are Restaurante La Bodega in Pereira and Hacienda Junín in Medellín.
Bandeja Paisa is the traditional platter of Colombia’s mountainous northwestern Paisa region, which includes the Antioquia department as well as several spots along the country’s Coffee Belt. As a Paisa myself, this spread is the one that most reminds me of home. It’s a simple yet hearty platter of all the foods necessary to fuel Colombia’s farmers for long, hard days of agricultural work. Proteins like crunchy and crackly chicharrón (fried pork belly) are served alongside sunny-side-up fried eggs, herby chorizo (Colombian sausage), and ground beef. Sides will vary, but you’ll typically find a mix of white rice, red beans cooked in a pork or beef broth, caramelized sweet plantains, and avocado slices. These platters are insanely filling, so be sure to order one for the table when you’re feeling ravenous—perhaps after a hike along one of the Paisa region’s many mountain trails.
2. Arepas (corn pancakes)
Arepas Paisa are thinner griddle cakes made with white maize that traditionally come from the Antioquia region of Colombia.
Photo by cesarardilah/Shutterstock
- Where to try it: Find it on most menus at restaurants serving traditional Colombian fare.
Arepas are corn pancakes that can be consumed on their own or with an array of garnishes and fixings. The treat can be found all over Colombia, but each region has its own way of preparing and serving it, showcasing the rich and plentiful biodiversity of the country. Arepas Paisa are probably the most famous. These thinly pressed and savory discs from the Antioquia region are made with a white corn dough. Arepas Boyacense eastern Andean region are spongy, thick, and sweet, made from yellow corn flour and a raw cane sugar known as panela. My favorite of the bunch are arepas de choclo, grilled sweet corn pancakes topped with melty queso blanco, which have a perfect blend of salty-sweetness and are gluten-free.
3. Ajiaco (chicken and potato soup)
- Where to try it: Casa Vieja in Bogotá, Colombia
The signature dish of Colombia’s capital city is this chicken and potato soup. Ajiaco is an elaborate soup that uses ingredients traditionally found in the Cundinamarca region: three kinds of potatoes (criollas, pastusas, and sabaneras), bone-in chicken breast, corn on the cob, dried guasca herbs, capers, yellow onions, and garlic.
4. Lechona (roasted pig)
Lechona from Tolima, Colombia, is traditionally served at celebrations and milestone events throughout the region.
Photo by oscar garces/Shutterstock
- Where to try it: Lechonería Eduvina in Ibague, Tolima
Several countries across Latin America have their own take on the lechona, or stuffed roasted pig, and Colombia is no exception. The Colombian take on lechona can be traced back to the Tolima department. An entire pig is filled with a mix of yellow peas, white rice, onions, and garlic and seasoned with a blend of spices, such as cumin, green onions, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. The pig is then placed on a spit and slow roasted for several hours, until the meat is thoroughly cooked and the skin outside becomes perfectly crispy and crackled. Typically served during celebrations, this dish is one of Colombia’s most visually stunning and exciting to eat.
5. Calentado (traditional Colombian breakfast)
- Where to try it: Served in most restaurants for breakfast
Calentado is the breakfast remix of the bandeja Paisa. Historically, calentados were made from the leftovers of unfinished bandeja Paisas. Women across farming communities in the Eje Cafetero, or “Coffee Axis,” would mix reheated chorizo, rice, beans, and pork belly into scrambled eggs and top the meal with a sofrito or a salsa mix of tomatoes, onions, and peppers known as hogao. Some say that the reheating process gave the food more flavor. Now a staple across the Coffee Belt, restaurants in Colombia’s mountainous regions offer calentados, sans leftovers.
6. Arroz atollado (fried rice)
- Where to try it: Ringlete in Cali, Valle del Cauca
A dish that shows off the best of Colombia’s Valle del Cauca region, arroz atollado is a meaty fried rice for which pork ribs, chicken legs, and cocktail sausages are browned and then simmered with a mix of seasoned rice on a low and slow setting for about 30 minutes. The meats become incredibly tender, the rice soft and creamy.
7. Sancocho trifásico (traditional three-phase soup)
Sancocho Trifásico is stands out from other versions of this soup made in Latin America because it has three kinds of meat: pork chops, chicken legs, and beef ribs.
Photo by Luis Echeverri Urrea/Shutterstock
- Where to try it: Restaurante El Kiosko Sabaneta in Medellín
Many countries across Latin America have their own version of sancocho, which is a traditional soup with a rich, savory broth. I cautiously say that the Colombian sancocho trifàsico is the most flavorful take on this soup. Made with three meats, such as beef ribs, chicken legs, and pork chops (hence its namesake); hearty root vegetables like potatoes, cassava, and plantains; and an aromatic broth, this soup is an event in itself.
8. Sudado (chicken stew)
- Where to try it: El Gran Fogon Modelia in Bogotá
Sudado literally translates to “sweaty,” which is the perfect moniker for this flavorful chicken stew: Many of the ingredients are steamed during the preparation, giving the chicken legs, red peppers, and other ingredients a sweaty look. Chicken legs, sautéed yellow onions, red peppers, tomatoes, and garlic cloves are thrown into a broth made of water, chicken bouillon, sazón (seasoning), and cumin powder. After simmering in a pot for about 30 minutes, tiny creole potatoes are added and cooked until soft, and until the chicken is tender enough to pull apart with a fork.
9. Pargo frito (fried red snapper)
Pargo frito is most commonly served in Colombia’s coastal cities, like Barranquilla and Cartagena.
Photo by Eddvlp/Shutterstock
- Where to try it: Small walk-up ordering windows throughout Cartagena, such as Picaditas Consue, or restaurants such as Restaurante Donjuán and Club de Pesca
One of the most underrated foods found on Colombia’s Atlantic is pargo frito, or fried red snapper. The fish is typically marinated overnight, coated in wheat flour, and then fried in canola oil. The result is a crispy and savory fish dish. Be sure to ask for sides of coconut rice and fried savory plantains to pair with your pargo frito.
10. Enyucados (cake made with cassava, coconut, and cheese)
- Where to try it: Palenquera vendors throughout the streets of Colombia’s coastal cities, such as Palenque, Cartagena, and Barranquilla
The enyucado is a popular cassava–based dessert traditionally found in towns along Colombia’s Atlantic coast. The cakes are a simple blend of shredded cassava, coconut milk, grated anise, and queso blanco. The dessert is spongy, soft, buttery, and delectable. For some of the best enyucados in Colombia, head to Palenque, a small town 30 miles south of Cartagena. Palenque was the first free African village in the Americas, and the streets of the city are filled with Palenqueras, women who sell street-food delicacies in beautiful, tricolored dresses. The flavorful dessert is an ode to the resilience and power of this small town.
11. Carimañola (meat and cheese stuffed yuca)
- Where to try it: Most bakeries in Colombia’s coastal cities
This is the one Colombian handheld treat you must indulge in while visiting. Colombia’s coastal cities are famous for their cuisine, but don’t overlook their wonderful street foods. Carimañolas are fried, pillowy cassava balls stuffed with several meats and cheeses. The tiny food pockets, crispy and tender, are some of the most flavorful bites found in the country. They’re also the most satisfying late-night bite during long evenings spent enjoying the culture in Colombia’s lively, joyful coastal cities.
