Enjoy Comida Colombiana With Your Bae This Spring

Colombian food is meaty, flavorsome and filling. Wash it down with a sip of the strong alcoholic spirit aguardiente and crank up the salsa. Here’s our guide to some comida Colombiana (Colombian food) you must try.

Empanadas

The perfect snack to eat on the move, empanadas are much like an English pasty or Jamaican patty. The stuffed pastries can be filled with whatever you like, but popular fillings include meat, chicken or cheese. Empanadas are eaten all over Latin America, but the distinctive aspect about Colombian empanadas is that they’re almost always deep-fried.

Almuerzo corriente

Colombians know how to do lunch. Almuerzo corriente is a kind of power lunch. With a soup to start followed by a big main, invariably consisting of rice, meat or fish, some kind of lentil and a little salad on the side, the Colombian version of this midday meal is an absolute must-try.

Fritanga

Fritanga is a wonderful mix of fried offal. While it doesn’t sound delicious, and it is most certainly an acquired taste, fritanga is a great way to try out bits of meat you wouldn’t normally eat.

Sancocho

Many Colombian dishes are based around the concept of making a meal out of basic ingredients. A great way to get the most flavor out of tougher cuts of meat is to cook them for a long time in soups and stews. The traditional Colombian stew is called sancocho. Chicken, pork and beef sancochos are all delicious, but for a real hearty dish, opt for mondongo — tripe soup.

Chuzo desgranado

Chuzo desgranado is the ultimate post-party snack, often served in 24-hour cafes that fill up once the clubs close. The dish is a mixture of sausage, chicken, beef and pork, served on a bed of lettuce. It’s topped with sweetcorn and crisps along with a triple hit of salsa — tartare, burger sauce and pineapple. This meal won’t win any health prices however, visitors should at least try it once, and they’ll see why it’s so popular.

Chocolate con queso

Chocolate con queso translates as chocolate and cheese. Cheese dipped in hot chocolate might not be your go-to meal but Colombians love it. Particularly popular in the capital, Bogotá, chocolate con queso is either eaten for breakfast or at around 4 pm, as an afternoon snack. The hot chocolate and stringy, melted cheese are a surprisingly good combination.

Enjoy Comida Colombiana With Your Bae This Spring with XcelTrip to make memories that last a lifetime.