Colombia serves up some of the most soulful, heart warming meals I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. The minute my airplane touches down in Colombia, my mouth is watering for Colombian food: A cup of Colombian coffee from Juan Valdez, a tamale wrapped in a banana leaf, and an arepa con queso. Why? This vibrant country is bursting with juicy fresh produce, natural spices and herbs, and plenty of heart for serving up a meal meant to give you time to stay awhile.
Being Colombian myself, I have had the luxury of being served fresh, home-cooked meals from my family. But when I visit, I also try to explore some of the local eateries as well! Isn’t that what travel is all about?
If you’re planning a trip to Colombia and wondering what foods you can expect, keep reading. I’ve provided, in my opinion, a comprehensive list of the best Colombian food to try, and where you can get them.
Colombian Arepas
Arepas are a Colombian food you’ll find everywhere. They are corn cakes that can be served plain, or with various toppings or fillings such as cheese or pork. Without a filling, arepas are fairly bland, which makes them one of the most common and versatile foods you’ll find in Colombia. You’ll see most meals served with a side of 1-2 plain Colombian arepas. However, you can also find more creative arepas served as appetizers, desserts and even main dishes!
Caldo de Costilla
Colombians love their soups! In fact, sometimes you’ll find them eating soup for breakfast. If you’re visiting Colombia soon, get ready to eat a lot of hearty, fresh, healthy soup.
Pictured above is a soup called Caldo de Costilla, or “Beef Rib Broth.” This is a filling soup from the Andean region of Colombia, and I can see why! It consists of beef ribs, potatoes, carrots, onions, and cilantro, and is a breakfast delicacy. Many people also swear by this Colombian food as an ultimate hangover cure! So if you spent a little too much time out in Zona Rosa or Zona T the night before, grab yourself a bowl of Caldo de Costilla from a local restaurant.
Chicha
One of my favorite phrases from my trip in 2019 was Jarte Chicha! which translates to “Drink Chicha!”
Chicha is a fermented drink that can be either alcoholic or non-alcoholic. The drink traditionally is corn, pineapple skins, panela (a Colombian type of sugar) and a hint of cinnamon.
You’ll find the best Chicha in Chorro de Quevedo Plaza, located in the neighborhood of La Candelaria. My suggestion? Skip the carts and restaurants in the main plaza. Sure, you can get tastes of traditional and other flavors of Chicha from men and women trying to bait you into their establishments, but the best Chicha is found in the alleyway behind the Plaza next to Fuji Izakaya. It is a small opening, and the beverage is in a jug. As sketchy as that sounds, it’s the most delicious Chicha I had! They’ll sell you 32 oz. for $4,000 COP which equals just $1.15 USD.
La Puerta Falsa
By. Far. My. Favorite. Colombian. Restaurant.
I’ve talked about La Puerta Falsa in previous blog posts, and there’s a reason why. It’s the BEST (and oldest, claiming to have been in business since 1816) restaurant in Colombia! The entire place can only seat about 20 people, I think my college dorm room was bigger than this place! But that’s a part of its charm.
La Puerta Falsa, or The False Door, is a kitschy title. The church across the street had a door that church goers believed led to a confession room. Much to their dismay, the door actually led its entrants out of the church and delivered them to the bar across the street. That bar? La Puerta Falsa.
It is here at La Puerta Falsa where you’ll find two things: Chocolate Completo and Colombian Tamales.
Chocolate Completo
Chocolate Completo is a very specific Colombian dish. Essentially, it’s hot chocolate with three sides: Pan con mantequilla (regular bread with butter), Almojabana (corn bread with cheese), and queso (a very mild cheese).
You read that right.
Cheese. Bread. Chocolate. A rich, sweet, chocolate-y dream that you can only find at La Puerta Falsa. To consume like a pro, traditionally, you will put the cheese into the hot chocolate right away while it’s hot to melt. While you wait for the cheese to melt, you’ll rip and dip the bread into your hot chocolate. Once the cheese has liquefied? All bets are off! Slurp and pull that cheese to your heart’s content. After all, there will only be 19 other people there doing the same thing.
Cost: $8,700 COP/$2.50 USD
Colombian Tamales
The grand finale of La Puerta Falsa is their famous Colombian Tamal (in Colombian Spanish, there’s no “e” in the singular spelling). Here in the USA, we’re used to Mexican tamales the size of a glasses case made in corn husks.
In Colombia? The contents of the tamal are larger than my hand. They’re cooked in large banana leaves, and the contents include masa, rice, chickpeas, carrots, chicken, and I’m sure plenty more ingredients that I’m unaware of.
They’re so delicious, but very large. I suggest getting them early on in your day so you have time to walk around and digest.
Cost: $8,700 COP/$2.50 USD
Changua
Changua is a Colombian breakfast soup with eggs and milk as the two base ingredients. After a night out at a bar in Zona Rosa, Changua is a great…cure.
Fairly basic, but filling and delicious, this soup has eggs, water, milk, cilantro, scallions, salt and pepper. Serve it with arepas or pan, and you’ve got a Colombian breakfast!
Bandeja Paisa
Bandesa Paisa is Colombia’s national dish. Traditionally, Bandeja Paisa consists of chicharrón, steak (traditionally carne en polvo), beans, white rice, plantains, avocado, fried egg, and an arepa. Chicharrón is fried pork belly and/or pork rind. It is salty, juicy, delicious, and I believe everyone (who chooses to eat meat) should experience it at least once.
Empanadas
Last but not least, we have empanadas. I didn’t get a chance to snap a photo of a Colombian empanada so here’s a stock photo of empanadas being made! When it comes to Colombian food, empanadas are a street food delicacy you can’t miss.
A turnover of sorts, empanadas are made with yellow corn dough and filled with pork, chicken or both. They also will sometimes have a boiled egg in them as well! Then they’re deep fried and served, golden, with a variety of sauces to choose from. My favorite? A little bit of Aji (spicy Colombian salsa) and a little bit of Pineapple sauce.
And there you have it. Just some of my favorite Colombian foods and beverages. Which one(s) would you try? Or, do you have any favorites I missed? Ajiaco? Sopa de Mondongo? Poker beer? Comment below!
