10 Foods or Dishes You Should Try if You Visit Colombia
My recommendations of foods and dishes that I had in my recent trip to Colombia.
Colombia is a beautiful country with a calming breath of fresh air, eye oozing palm trees, and a vibrant yet gentle sun that hovers over the horizon. I knew I was in for a great time in Medellin, Colombia, the second I stepped out of the airport and into the taxi to get to my Airbnb. There are many things to do in the Medellin region of Colombia. From the touristy activities such as visiting the overwhelmingly beautiful El Peñón de Guatapé, the cool hip-hop graffiti scenery in comuna 13, and the educational tour of the luxurious Museo el Castillo, there are many tourist attractions and reasons to visit Medellin Colombia.
On my first visit ever to Colombia, I found out rather quickly that food is also a major attraction in Colombia. With that in mind, in no particular order, I’ll be giving you my recommendations and Top 10 favorite foods and dishes that I had during my recent visit to Medellin, Colombia.
1. Bandeja Paisas
You can find this dish in almost any restaurant nearest to you in Colombia. It’s a staple dish from Colombia, and arguably it’s the most commercially marketed and known food dish from the country. It’s a dish with a variety of different components to it. Lots of amazing flavors going on all at once. The dish comes with white rice, red beans, steak (or ground beef, you can substitute for both), fried pork (known as chicharrón), fried egg, avocado, Morcilla (Colombian sausage), sweet plantain (plátano maduro), and a piece of arepa (ground maize dough). Yes. I know that's a lot of food.
Believe me, when I say this, though, it’s excellent. You get the saltiness of the fried pork, steak, and sausage. The sweetness from the plátano maduro, the refreshing piece of avocado to refresh the palate, the simple yet decadent fluffy arepa, and the fried egg sunny side style on top of the rice, puts this dish all together. It’s a mouthful of wonderful delight going on all at once, and each ingredient in this dish serves its purpose. There are absolutely no wasted or unnecessary additives. This dish is meant to be enjoyed as is.
It’s worth noting that this dish is usually proportional enough to share amongst two people or for yourself, depending on your appetite. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this traditional Colombian dish. I would also like to point out that if you’re a non-pork eater, this dish is available in chicken, minus the fried pork and sausage, and is just as fantastic.
2. Empanadas
There’s nothing like a fresh Colombian Empanada. They’re a convenient medium-sized corn dough stuffed with meat and potatoes. The crispiness of the corn dough adds a nice contrast to the savory potatoes, peppers, and meat stuffed inside. You can ask for chicken or beef, and these tasty treats can be found in almost any restaurant or food cart vendor in Colombia. Empanadas are the perfect street food because you can eat them while walking around the beautiful city you’re in, in Colombia.
3. Arepa
Arepa is a maize dough that can be fried or grilled and is eaten with almost any meal for any part of the day, whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It comes in many forms. It can be made with or without cheese, and it can also be stuffed with meat. Either way, you choose to have it, it will certainly satisfy your taste buds. Arepa has a smooth, fluffy inside and crispy outside texture. It’s the perfect side dish to have with your meal and is the equivalent to having a dinner roll, in America with your dish, only better. The plain arepa with no cheese or meat is just as good and pairs well in the morning with a fresh cup of coffee.
4. Coffee
Ok, ok, ok! I get it! This is a beverage, but honestly, this list just wouldn’t seem right if Coffee straight from the main source of one of the most commonly known best in the world isn’t put on this list. There is nothing better than a fresh cup of coffee from Colombia to get your morning started right. For all my coffee caffeine fanatics that get withdrawal symptoms, headache, or get cranky if you have not had your mandatory cup of coffee, this delightful beverage is for you.
Whether you like your coffee black, sugar, and or milk, the fresh taste of the coffee bean used to make this delicious brew is indescribable. If you’re from the United States, this beverage is also relatively very cheap and cost-effective. It can range anywhere from 1,150 — 3,000 pesos, or $0.33–0.85 USD. When it comes to coffee in Colombia, the portions are very modest, though, and very rarely will you find places with large-sized cups, so if you’re an aggressive coffee drinker like myself, you may want to buy 2 cups to satisfy your coffee needs.
5. Perrito Americana
As you’ll notice, the frequent theme here with this list is Colombia's street food is amazing. There are food carts galore on almost every street corner and strip. The Perrito Americana is Colombia's version of the American Hotdog. Its many components will have you thinking you’ll be in for a heavy dish.
However, you’ll quickly discover that this hotdog is deceptively light and satisfying. It consists of your standard hotdog bun, chicken frankfurter, tomatoes, onions, peppers, mini fried onion strips, ketchup, mayo, pineapple sauce, and a slice of mozzarella cheese on top. This large hotdog is a mouthful, and you may need to sit down, get comfortable and have plenty of napkins because it can get messy.
Who doesn’t like a delicious messy combination of flavors!? The softness of the bun with a great snap from the hotdog, to go along with the crunch of the veggies, gives this dish an A+ for contrast that is appealing to the palate. The sweetness of the pineapple at the end is a nice finish.
6. Mondongo
This dish right here may not be particularly appealing for picky eaters. However, even if you are a picky eater, all I’m asking is that you keep an open mind. As they say, “don’t knock it until you try it.” So what exactly is Mondongo? Well, to put it shortly, it’s a dish made of beef tripe. Yes. This delicious dish doesn’t quite sound appetizing, but the combination of the other ingredients put together with the beef tripe is what makes this dish great.
Mondongo is a beef tripe-stewed soup. It’s slow-cooked with mirepoix, some cilantro, garlic, and tomato puree to thicken the soup just a touch. It has a soupy, slightly light texture to it. The finishing touches to this soup/stew are a squeeze of lime juice, a few touches of hot sauce for some heat, and a garnish of freshly chopped cilantro, which are what put this flavor-filled hearty dish together.
7. Chicken Burger from la 70 Street vending cart
If you had a night out drinking with friends and locals during your stay on la 70 Medellin Colombia, this is the perfect late-night meal. It’s a hidden gem street cart on the strip of la 70. A messy, yet generous, amount of stripped grilled chicken pieces, lettuce, tomato, shredded mozzarella cheese, ketchup mayo, and a soft bun. The thing that makes this sandwich special is the greasy and juicy flavors of the grilled chicken. The seasoning that is used is perfect yet mysterious. It has a unique flavor and is a great get for those that have late-night cravings.
8. Tacos
Yes. The tacos I had from Medellin were fantastic. There were two small spots on the strip of la 70 that had tacos. The ones I had, had some of the freshest hand-made tortillas that you’ll ever find. It was an amazing flavor. There’s nothing better than fresh-made food. When it comes to delicious, made from scratch foods, fresh-made tortillas are right up there.
My favorite food is Tacos, and I’ve had some delicious tacos in my life, so usually, I’m a tough critic of this dish. I’m not typically easily impressed when it comes to tacos. I have a high standard of expectation. However, these tacos from la 70 are a must-have and are really good. It’s a great meal to wash down with a refreshingly cold Colombian beer.
9. Genovesa Milo
If you like tiramisu or tres leches cake, this cold Colombian cake is just right for you. This delicious Cold Cake consists of sponge cake soaked in tres leches with milo (chocolate malt powder), topped with whipped cream, chocolate, and more milo on top. You’ll find that the typical way for many Latin American countries(like Colombia) to finish their dinner is with a small dessert and a cup of black coffee. On my last day in Colombia, that’s exactly how I ended my dinner, and it was a great way to end a meal.
The cake itself isn’t too sweet, it's very cold and refreshing, and it just melts in your mouth. You barely even chew. A small cup of black coffee with sugar is an excellent pairing for the taste buds in this dessert. You can get this delicacy from Mondogos on the strip of la 70.
10. Mielositos Carmelo de Miel/Honey Candy
I found this one by accident. My friend and I were in a souvenir shop just looking around while waiting for the bus to take us back to Medellin from Guatape. We had just finished viewing the huge beautiful rock climb or better known in Colombia as El Peñón de Guatapé, and the bus was still 30 minutes away. I look around the shop and see a little corner for candy and cookies, and for some reason, this candy's packaging just stood out to me.
These chewy honey caramel delights come in a 50 pack for about 7,550 pesos or roughly 2.15 USD, which is a bargain for this great product. They’re addicting. Once you eat one, it’s hard to stop. They're the perfect souvenir gift for those back at home that wants to experience an all naturally flavored, and delicious Colombian candy.
