Colombian food is not spicy as many assume...

When I first arrived here, I was expecting spicy Colombian food with exotic flavors. I was sorely mistaken.

The truth is, the food is in many ways fairly straightforward. Whenever my wife and I return here from either the U.S. or Norway, I'm always reminded of just how much richer the flavor of the raw ingredients are. Tomatoes are ripe and juicy, onions are on the sweeter side and the fruit is simply out of this world.

My first glass of juice when arriving is usually a reminder of how bland tastes can become without spicing in other parts of the world. I think this explains why much of the food here embraces the natural flavors of its ingredients. A week or two into my stay, and the vitamins and nutrients kick in - the difference is that big.

We really need to distinguish between traditional Colombian food and the fairly new and rapidly emerging culinary trend of top-notch cuisine.

Traditional (Criolla)

Staples are a big part of every meal. The arepa (corn bread), platano (plantain), arroz (rice) and frijoles (beans). To a lesser extent but still prevalent, there is of course the potato. Essentially, this can be fairly heavy on the starches for a lot of visitors but it all tastes good.

Some regional specialties include the Ajiaco from Bogota, a chicken broth with potatoes, avocado and corn. Medellin is known for it's Sancocho, a stew that varies but generally includes a meat, plantain, potato, yuca and corn in addition to vegetables and tomato even. There seems to be no hard and fast rule. Medellin and antioquia are also know for the humongous Bandeja Paisa - an enormous dish consisting of red beans, pork sausage, thinly chopped beef, an egg, avocado and plantain of course. Unless you plan on putting in a hard days labor, the Sancocho can be pretty filling to say the least.

The Caribbean coast tends to specialize in seafood ranging from fried fish with coconut rice to shellfish soups. It's delicious.

Juice is served with all meals, especially lunch and dinner. Breakfast may include hot chocolate (water based).

Colombian Coffee is of course one of the best in the world and a vital and huge component of Colombian exports. Over the last years, the domestic coffee culture has changed, especially in the cities and major tourist destinations, with the rapid expansion of coffee chains such as the well-branded Juan Valdez.

Return from Colombian Foodto Colombia Travel Guide