Food & Cuisine

Influenced through Indigenous, Spanish and African input and recently seeing both Arab and Asian influences also having effect, Colombian Cuisine sees a great variety in its foodstuffs and has ingredients included from the Caribbean shoreline, the mountainous regions, the Pacific coast, ranch lands and jungle environments. Although dishes vary from region to region greatly, especially prominent is Colombia’s coffee, which has found critical acclaim worldwide. Common ingredients include rice, cassava, maize, potatoes, legumes, chicken, beef, goat, pork, fish, seafood of varying types, cape gooseberry, araza, feijoa, dragon fruit, granadilla, mangostino, guava, papaya, lulo, blackberries, passionfruit and soursop.

Dishes across Colombia may include Ajiaco (chicken, potato and corn stew with the guasca herb), Tamales (steamed corn wrapped in a corn husk and filled with varying fillings including chicken, peas, potatoes, carrots and rice), Changua (milk soup with eggs), Aborrajado (deep fried plantains with cheese), Empanadas (pastry filledwith meat or vegetables) and Lechona (a roast pig stuffed with yellow peas, rice, onions and spices).