Kitchen & Dining

Colombian cuisine is based on traditions and practices of Colombia. In each area the food can vary. There are also typical local dishes. Colombians eat three meals a day on average. A light breakfast, a lunch full of carbs and a light dinner.

National cuisine

The national cuisine is characterized by features of native cuisine with a mix of European influences. Al though there not really is a national dish, there are two would could be it, Arepa (a bread made of maize flour, wich may have different fillings) and Sancocho (soup of a certain type of banana, potato and yucca and meat (any kind of meat)).
Fritanga are several dishes that seem a bit like barbecue. It is eaten throughout the country. The dishes are usually grilled beef, chicken, ribs or sausage as morcilla, chorizo, longaniza, and chunchullo (fried cow intestines), mini potatoes and Arepa made from sweet corn.
A lot of rice and cereals are eaten also beef, chicken, pork, or fish (depending on region).
Also legumes such as beans, peas and lentils are eaten very often. Fruit grows well by the good climate. Also exotic fruit just grows in the woods of rural Colombia.

Regional cuisine

In Bogotá and the Andean region, ajiaco is a traditional dish. It is a soup made of chicken, corn, potatoes, avocado and guascas (a local herb) . Traditionally, the cream and the capers added only at the table eating. Ajiaco is eaten with white rice, a salad with a little lemon, avocado, or sweet or savory tostadas.
Along the Caribbean coast pork and liver of the whale used in mildly spicy food. Rice with coconut flavor is a common dish along the coastal cities. Suero is a cross between yogurt and sour cream, is widely consumed. Suero is introduced by Arab immigrants in Baranquilla and other coastal cities. Arepa in various forms is often eaten in this region, known are Arepa with egg or Arepa cheese. But there are more possibilities.
Llanos in the east, the roasted meat joint, because of the cowboy culture. The dishes are cooked as ternera Llanera on a vertical spit over an open fire. Freshwater fish amarillo are also eaten.
In the Amazon, the Brazilian and Peruvian influences are seen in local food. Local resources such as beef and other livestock, and freshwater fish, are typical ingredients in the Amazone kitchen.Colombian Food: Tamales.
Tolimenses is considered a delicacy in the Tolima region. These tamales are made from corn with a mixture of peas, carrots, potatoes, rice, chicken, pork and filled with various spices. They are wrapped and cooked in three to four hours in banana leaves.