Typical Colombian food : a gastronomic route through the six regions
Tasting typical Colombian food means walking through every corner of the country and falling in love with its different flavors. After all, the gastronomic culture of this territory is as varied as it is abundant thanks to its different climates and fertile lands. That's why, on this occasion, we will travel from the Atlantic Coast to the Amazon to discover different Colombian foods. Who knows, maybe you'll find one that you haven't tried yet.
Typical Colombian food : six dishes in six regions
Pacific Pusandao
Let's start with a typical Pacific dish, pusandao. Its name is of African origin and its preparation mixes textures, flavors and aromas. This is because it combines sun-dried, salted and preserved meat in the old-fashioned way, without refrigeration, with yuca, onion, lemon and other ingredients. Similar to sancocho, a typical Caribbean dish.
This typical Colombian food also offers a thousand flavors by including plantain, egg, potato, and coconut milk. On the other hand, the meat variation is called carne serrana and is originally from Barbacoas. Without a doubt, this is one of those traditional Colombian soups that you need to try.
Ajiaco from the Andean region
Speaking of traditional soups, ajiaco is a typical Colombian dish that is well-known both inside and outside the country. In fact, it is known as one of the favorite soups of residents and tourists; representing us all over the world. Being an ideal recipe for cold weather, it is especially popular in Bogotá. In addition, it includes different types of potatoes and other ingredients that add flavor such as chicken, capers, corn on the cob, avocado and rice.
Just like the bandeja paisa in Antioquia and the lechona in the Cauca Valley, ajiaco is a dish with culture and tradition that goes back years. Now, let's get to know the famous sancocho from the Caribbean to the world!
Caribbean Sancocho
Preparing a ready-made soup is not the same as preparing a traditional sancocho. This soup broth prepared with different meats originated in the Caribbean region. It was given this name because it is a type of stew that mixes various ingredients in a large pot with water, from proteins to tubers.
For this reason, this dish is a true gem of typical Colombian food . Its flavor is so versatile that you can enjoy it in different places and with different preparations. It is even said that there is not just one sancocho in Colombia; there is also the one from Cundiboyacense and the one from Antioquia.
This preparation is accompanied by a clean bun , made from corn flour, or casabe; the perfect pairing. Without further ado, let's get to know the palo a pique; a typical dish from Orinoquía.
Orinoquía's stick
This delicious, typical Colombian dish is born in the Eastern Plains, and is very easy to make. So much so that you can cook it at home whenever you want. Palo a pique is a combination of stewed beans (they can be Zenú beans, for example) and pork rinds scrambled with white rice. Three products from Colombia that are also available abroad.
Without a doubt, this is a recipe that gives us a sea of flavors. However, what makes this dish really attractive is that it can be consumed at any time of the day. If you want to know another emblematic recipe of Colombian gastronomy, keep reading! Now we will travel to the Amazon region to tell you about the traditional frijolada.
Frijolada or feijoada from the Amazon
Something that distinguishes this typical Colombian dish is the base used when cooking it: black beans. There is a reason it was given the name frijolada or feijoada . Although it is of Brazilian origin, the ancestors of the Colombian Amazon adopted it as their own. They not only gave us its unique aroma and flavor. They also included other ingredients such as chorizo, pork, bacon and seasonings.
Another particular detail of this dish is its presentation: it is served in clay cups with rice or farofa (cassava flour). In addition, beans are the ideal complement to our tray paisa. Therefore, we cannot end this culinary tour without talking about beans with pig's tail.
Beans with pig's tail from the island region
This region not only offers us beaches and paradisiacal landscapes, but also its gastronomy. That is why we share with you one of its most emblematic dishes: beans with pig's tail, which stand out for their unique flavor.
Black or red beans are the star ingredient in this dish and are cooked with the pig's tail. They are also complemented with a tasty sofrito prepared with paprika, basil, onion and chili pepper. Although garlic, sugar and salt are also added for seasoning.
Without a doubt, this is a very particular way of consuming this typical food from the island region that is eaten especially in the San Andrés Archipelago and gives life to another traditional island recipe: crab soup.
Dare to recreate these typical recipes at home, with which you will taste the flavor of delicious beans and other ingredients. And dare to cook even with Colombian products in the United States that you find in supermarkets, such as chickpeas or lentils.
Bibliographic references
Colombian Amazon. (sf). Typical food from the Amazon . www.amazonascolombiano.com.co
Colombia.com. (sf). Feijoada (Brazil). https://www.colombia.com/gastronomia/recetas-internacionales/feijoada-r402
Cosoy, N. (2017). 7 great Colombian dishes beyond the bandeja paisa, sancocho and ajiaco. BBC News . https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-38782458
Escobar, E. (sf). 15 typical dishes from the Orinoquia region that you should know and try. RedBus . https://blog.redbus.co/gastronomia/15-platos-tipicos-region-orinoquia-debes-conocer-probar/
El Espectador. (2018). The 7 most visited cities in Colombia for their gastronomy. https://www.elespectador.com/cromos/gastronomia/las-7-ciudades-mas-visitadas-en-colombia-por-su-gastronomia-26602-ie114
El Tiempo. (2021). The seven most popular typical foods among Colombians. https://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/otras-ciudades/cuales-son-los-platos-tipicos-que-mas-consumen-en-colombia-632270
HereWeGo. (2020). Island gastronomic route. https://www.sanandreshrwego.com/es/noticias/ruta-gastronomica-islena
Ramírez, D. (2019). Pusandao, tradition of the Pacific coast. Gastronomy .https://colombia.gastronomia.com/noticia/8643/pusandao-tradicion-de-la-costa-del-pacifico
Regions of Colombia. (sf). What is the typical food of the Insular Region of Colombia? https://regionesdecolombia.org/region-insular/cual-es-la-comida-tipica-de-la-region-insular-de-colombia/
