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Colombian cuisine is a culinary tradition of six main regions within Colombia [1] (Insular, Caribbean, Pacific, Andean, Orinoco, and Amazonian). Colombian cuisine varies regionally and is influenced by Indigenous Colombian, Spanish, [2] and African cuisines, [3] with a slight Arab influence in some regions. [4]
Colombian food is a unique blend of indigenous, European traditions, and Afro-Caribbean influences. The two largest indigenous groups prior to European conquest were the Tairona, who lived along the Caribbean coast, and the Muisca, who lived in the highlands to the South. [5] Arepas, made from ground corn, is one of the oldest cooked dishes in Colombian cuisine and a popular modern dish. It is believed that the name derives from the word for corn in the Chibcha languages. [5]
Colombian dishes and ingredients vary widely by region; however, some of the most common ingredients include an endless variety of staples: cereals such as rice and maize; tubers such as potato and cassava; assorted legumes; meats, including beef, chicken, pork, and goat; and fish and other seafood. Colombian cuisine also features a wide variety of tropical fruit. [6] [7]
Among the most representative appetisers and soups are sancocho de gallina (chicken soup with root vegetables), of beef, of pork ribs or triphasic, sancocho of fish, the ajiaco (potato and corn soup), [8] [9] patacones (fried green plantains), and buñuelos (Christmas season deep fried dough balls).
Representative snacks and breads are arepas (corn cakes), tortas de choclo, almojábanas, pandebonos, aborrajados (fried sweet plantains with cheese), empanadas, and mogollas.
Representative main courses are bandeja paisa, lechona tolimense, tamales, [10] and fish dishes such as arroz de lisa, especially in coastal regions where suero, costeño cheese, peto costeño made from white corn, kibbeh, and carimañolas are also eaten.
Representative side dishes are papas criollas al horno (roasted Andean potatoes), papas chorreadas (potatoes with messy cheese), and arroz con coco (coconut rice). Organic food is a current trend in big cities, although in general, the country's fruits and vegetables are very natural and fresh. [11]
Representative desserts are natillas, bocadillo made of guayaba (guava jelly), cocadas (coconut balls), casquitos de guayaba (candied guava peels), torta de natas, obleas, flan de arequipe, roscón, milhoja, brevas (preserved in syrup) con arequipe, and tres leches cake (sponge cake soaked in 3 types of milk).
Typical sauces are hogao, a tomato onion sauce, and ají, a spicy raw cilantro-based sauce used as a condiment for many dishes and sides, which can be used for most foods. Ají sauce comes in many different varieties based on region and ranges from a sweet flavour to very spicy. Ají picante can range from 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville.
Some representative beverages are coffee (tinto), aromáticas, champúss, cholados, luladas, avena colombiana, sugarcane juice, aguapanela, chocolate caliente, and fresh fruit juices (often made with sugar and water or milk as batidos). [12]
There are a large variety of dishes that take into account the differences in regional climates. For example:
Piqueteaderos are rustic eateries that serve a variety of fried foods and specialties on platters to share. Offerings can even include huesos cerdos (pig bones) and tarta de seso (brain pie), as well as fried dishes, morcilla, corn on the cob, and other foods common to Colombia.
| Name | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aborrajado |  | deep-fried plantains stuffed with cheese |
| Arepas |  | ground maize dough divided into balls and pan-fried or grilled corn cakes |
| Arroz con coco |  | rice with coconut and raisins |
| Butifarras soledeñas |  | sausage from Soledad, Atlántico |
| Carimañola |  | yuca fritter stuffed with ground meat, onion and seasonings |
| Chicharron |  | deep fried pork rind |
| Chunchullo |  | pig, lamb, cow's small intestine |
| Empanadas |  | small fritters, made with a mixture of shredded meat, pork, beef, or chicken |
| Hogao |  | criollo sauce The image contains: a table with patacones and hogao |
| Hormigas culonas |  | large roasted ants, a santandereanas food from Colombia's Santander Department |
| Lentil soup (Sopa de lentejas) |  | a standard meal in many Colombian kitchens. The basic method is to soak the lentils for a few hours before adding chopped onion, garlic, and sometimes diced or grated carrots. It is then served with avocado, rice, tomato, and sweet plantain [13] |
| Patacones |  | green plantain fried or deep fried squished and fried |
| Queso blanco |  | white cheese, also referred to as queso fresco |
| Suero |  | a topping similar to sour cream |
| Tamale |  | a typical Colombian preparation that has many regional variants [14] |
Colombia is home to numerous tropical fruits that are rarely found elsewhere. Several varieties of bananas include a very small, sweet version. Other fruit varieties grown in Colombia include apple, pear, grape, blackberry and strawberry.
Fruit and juice stands are found across Colombia, particularly on the Caribbean coast. [15] Being a tropical country, Colombia produces a large variety of fruits, such as:
On a per capita basis, Colombia is one of the world's largest consumers of fruit juices, consuming on average more than three-quarters of a serving each day. [21]
Brazilian cuisine is the set of cooking practices and traditions of Brazil, and is characterized by European, Amerindian, African, and Asian influences. It varies greatly by region, reflecting the country's mix of native and immigrant populations, and its continental size as well. This has created a national cuisine marked by the preservation of regional differences.
Costa Rican cuisine is known for being mostly mild, with high reliance on fruits and vegetables. Rice and black beans are a staple of most traditional Costa Rican meals, often served three times a day. Costa Rican fare is nutritionally well rounded, and nearly always cooked from scratch from fresh ingredients. Owing to the location of the country, tropical fruits and vegetables are readily available and included in the local cuisine.
Santander is a department of Colombia. Santander inherited the name of one of the nine original states of the United States of Colombia. It is located in the central northern part of the country, borders the Magdalena River to the east, Boyacá to the south and southeast, the Norte de Santander Department to the northeast, the Cesar Department to the north, the Bolivar and Antioquia Departments to the west. Its capital is the city of Bucaramanga.
Latin American cuisine is the typical foods, beverages, and cooking styles common to many of the countries and cultures in Latin America. Latin America is a highly racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse with varying cuisines. Some items typical of Latin American cuisine include maize-based dishes arepas, empanadas, pupusas, tacos, tamales, tortillas and various salsas and other condiments. Sofrito, a culinary term that originally referred to a specific combination of sautéed or braised aromatics, exists in Latin American cuisine. It refers to a sauce of tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, garlic, onions and herbs. Rice, corn, pasta, bread, plantain, potato, yucca, and beans are also staples in Latin American cuisine.
Jamaican cuisine includes a mixture of cooking techniques, flavours and spices influenced by Amerindian, West African, Irish, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern people who have inhabited the island. It is also influenced by the crops introduced into the island from tropical Southeast Asia, many of which are now grown locally. A wide variety of seafood, tropical fruits and meats are available.
Salvadoran cuisine is a style of cooking derived from the nation of El Salvador. The indigenous foods consist of a mix of Amerindian cuisine from groups such as the Lenca, Pipil, Maya Poqomam, Maya Chʼortiʼ, Alaguilac and Cacaopera peoples and some African influences. Many of the dishes are made with maize (corn). There is also heavy use of pork and seafood. European ingredients were incorporated after the Spanish conquest.
Peruvian cuisine reflects local practices and ingredients including influences mainly from the indigenous population, including the Inca, and cuisines brought by immigrants from Europe, Asia, and Africa. Without the familiar ingredients from their home countries, immigrants modified their traditional cuisines by using ingredients available in Peru.
Sancocho is a traditional stew in several Caribbean and Latin American cuisines. Latin variations represent popular national dishes in Dominican Republic, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, Ecuador, Panama, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. It usually consists of large pieces of meat, tubers and vegetables served in a broth.
Sopa de mondongo is a soup that originally came from Colombia, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. It is made from diced tripe slow-cooked with vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, carrots, cabbage, celery, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic or root vegetables. The dish is generally prepared in former Spanish colonies in Latin America, Caribbean, and in the Philippines. The proposed etymology for mondongo is in the African Kikongo language, meaning “intestines, entrails of certain animals.
Honduran cuisine is a fusion of Mesoamerican, Spanish, Caribbean and African cuisines. There are also dishes from the Garifuna people. Coconut and coconut milk are featured in both sweet and savory dishes. Regional specialties include sopa de caracol, fried fish, tamales, carne asada and baleadas. Other popular dishes include meat roasted with chismol and carne asada, chicken with rice and corn, and fried fish with pickled onions and jalapeños. In the coastal areas and the Bay Islands, seafood and some meats are prepared in many ways, including with coconut milk. Among the soups the Hondurans enjoy are bean soup, mondongo soup, seafood soups and beef soups. Generally all of these soups are mixed with plantains, yuca, and cabbage, and served with corn tortillas.
Dominican cuisine is made up of Spanish, Indigenous Taíno, Middle Eastern, and African influences. The most recent influences in Dominican cuisine are from the British West Indies and China.
Panamanian cuisine is a mix of Spanish, Indigenous, and African techniques, dishes, and ingredients, reflecting its diverse population. Since Panama is a land bridge between two continents, it has a large variety of tropical fruits, vegetables and herbs that are used in native cooking.
Most traditional foods in Guatemalan cuisine are based on Maya cuisine, with Spanish influence, and prominently feature corn, chilies and beans as key ingredients. Guatemala is famously home to the Hass avocado.
Chilean cuisine stems mainly from the combination of traditional Spanish cuisine, Chilean Mapuche culture and local ingredients, with later important influences from other European cuisines, particularly from Germany, the United Kingdom and France. The food tradition and recipes in Chile are notable for the variety of flavours and ingredients, with the country's diverse geography and climate hosting a wide range of agricultural produce, fruits and vegetables. The long coastline and the peoples' relationship with the Pacific Ocean add an immense array of seafood to Chilean cuisine, with the country's waters home to unique species of fish, molluscs, crustaceans and algae, thanks to the oxygen-rich water carried in by the Humboldt Current. Chile is also one of the world's largest producers of wine and many Chilean recipes are enhanced and accompanied by local wines. The confection dulce de leche was invented in Chile and is one of the country's most notable contributions to world cuisine.
Belizean cuisine is an amalgamation of all ethnicities in the nation of Belize and their respectively wide variety of foods. Breakfast often consists of sides of bread, flour tortillas, or fry jacks that are often homemade and eaten with various cheeses. All are often accompanied with refried beans, cheeses, and various forms of eggs, etc. Inclusive is also cereal along with milk, coffee, or tea.
A great variety of cassava-based dishes are consumed in the regions where cassava is cultivated. Manihot esculenta is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes.
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