Colombian cuisine

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Natural regions of Colombia.
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Insular Region
Caribbean Region
Pacific Region
Andean Region
Orinoquia Region
Amazon Region Mapa de Colombia (regiones naturales).svg
Natural regions of Colombia.
  Insular Region
  Caribbean Region
  Pacific Region
  Andean Region
  Orinoquía Region
  Amazon Region

Colombian cuisine is a culinary tradition of six main regions within Colombia: Insular, Caribbean, Pacific, Andean, Orinoco, and Amazonian. [1] 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]

Contents

History of Colombian food

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]

Ajiaco.jpg
Bandeja paisa 30062011.jpg
Chuleta Valluna - Colombiana.jpg
Arroz de liza.jpg
Arepa y Tamal Santandereano.jpg
Ternera a la llanera.jpg
Clockwise from upper left: Ajiaco from Bogotá, Bandeja paisa from Antioquia, Cutlet Valluna, Arroz de lisa from Barranquilla, Arepa and tamale from Santander, Ternera a la llanera (mamona) from the LLanos

Regional cuisines

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.

Dishes and foods

Appetizers and side dishes

NameImageDescription
Aborrajado Aborrajados de platano maduro.jpg deep-fried plantains stuffed with cheese
Arepas Columbian arepa with veggie chorizo.jpg ground maize dough divided into balls and pan-fried or grilled corn cakes
Arroz con coco Arroz con coco.JPG rice with coconut and raisins
Butifarras soledeñas Butifarras soledenas.jpg sausage from Soledad, Atlántico
Carimañola Barranquilla - Carimanolas.jpg yuca fritter stuffed with ground meat, onion and seasonings
Chicharron Torreznos (Apilamiento).jpg deep fried pork rind
Chunchullo Chinchulines.jpg pig, lamb, cow's small intestine
Empanadas Empanada tray.jpg small fritters, made with a mixture of shredded meat, pork, beef, or chicken
Hogao Hogao.JPG criollo sauce
The image contains: a table with patacones and hogao
Hormigas culonas Hormigas Culonas from Santander.jpg large roasted ants, a santandereanas food from Colombia's Santander Department
Lentil soup
(Sopa de lentejas)
Ezogelin soup, bread, and water.jpg 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 Patacones - Barranquilla.jpg green plantain fried or deep fried squished and fried
Queso blanco Queso turrialba crc.jpg white cheese, also referred to as queso fresco
Suero Suero costeno.jpg a topping similar to sour cream
Tamale Tamal tolimense sin abrir.jpg a typical Colombian preparation that has many regional variants [14]

Pastries and baked goods

Almojabana. Galguerias II.jpg
Almojábana.
Carimanola. Barranquilla - Carimanolas.jpg
Carimañola.

Varieties of arepa

Arepas and chorizo on the grill Arepas con chorizo.jpg
Arepas and chorizo on the grill
Arepa de huevo Arepas de huevo.jpg
Arepa de huevo
  • Arepa boyacense
  • Arepa de arroz
  • Arepa de huevo
  • Arepa de maiz
  • Arepa de queso
  • Arepa de yuca
  • Arepa ocañera
  • Arepa paisa (antioqueña)
  • Arepa santandereana
  • Arepa valluna
  • Arepas de choclo (sweet corn)
  • Brown rice and sesame seed arepa
  • Rice arepas (oreja de perro)

Fruit

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:

Carica papaya. Longitudinal section of the papaya fruit. Papaya - longitudinal section.jpg
Carica papaya. Longitudinal section of the papaya fruit.
Melicoccus bijugatus, mamoncillo Melicoccus bijugatus.jpg
Melicoccus bijugatus , mamoncillo
Solanum quitoense, lulo Lulo.jpg
Solanum quitoense , lulo
Spondias purpurea, ciruela or cocota Red mombin.jpeg
Spondias purpurea , ciruela or cocota

Main courses

Soups

Desserts and sweets

Milhoja Milhojas (dos cremas).jpg
Milhoja
Tres leches cake Tres Leches.jpg
Tres leches cake

Beverages

Lulada Champus Titular.jpg
Lulada

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]

Salpicon of fruit, mixing banana, pineapple, papaya, watermelon, etc. Salpicon de frutas.jpg
Salpicon of fruit, mixing banana, pineapple, papaya, watermelon, etc.

Alcoholic beverages

Canelazo Canelazo.jpg
Canelazo
Boileds from Pasto of lulo and blackberry Hervidos pastusos.jpg
Boileds from Pasto of lulo and blackberry

See also

References

  1. "Las seis regiones de Colombia y sus características culturales (in Spanish) - The six regions of Colombia and their cultural characteristics". Señal Colombia, David Jáuregui Sarmiento, 2024-07-17. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  2. Ossa, Humberto; Aquino, Juliana; Pereira, Rui; Ibarra, Adriana; Ossa, Rafael H.; Pérez, Luz Adriana; Granda, Juan David; Lattig, Maria Claudia; Groot, Helena; Carvalho, Elizeu Fagundes de; Gusmão, Leonor (2016-10-13). "Outlining the Ancestry Landscape of Colombian Admixed Populations". PLOS ONE. 11 (10): e0164414. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1164414O. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164414 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   5063461 . PMID   27736937.
  3. "The lasting influence of Colombia's African heritage". Colombia.co. Retrieved 2018-07-01.
  4. "A Cheat Sheet to Colombian Food". Eater. Retrieved 2018-11-30.
  5. 1 2 Foss, Richard (2011). "Colombia". In Albala, Ken (ed.). Food cultures of the world encyclopedia . Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood. pp.  75. ISBN   978-1-78539-412-6. OCLC   915350255.
  6. "Typical Colombian Food" . Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  7. "Colombian Food: Variety, Tradition and Nature Fruits". going2colombia.com. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  8. "Receta: cómo preparar ajiaco, el plato típico colombiano (in Spanish) - Recipe: how to prepare ajiaco, the typical Colombian dish". El Espectador, Jorge Márquez, 2021-03-24. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  9. "'Cocina ancestral': ¿cómo hacían el ajiaco los indígenas muiscas? (in Spanish) - 'Ancestral cuisine': how did the Muisca indigenous people make ajiaco?". Canal Trece (Colombian TV channel), Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina, Paula López and Jaison Rodríguez, 2018-10-16. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  10. "Seis formas de preparar el tamal en Colombia (in Spanish) - Six ways to prepare tamales in Colombia". Radio Nacional de Colombia, Freddy Nagles, 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  11. "Colombian Food; A List of Traditional and Modern Colombian Recipes". southamericanfood.about.com. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  12. "10 Colombian Drinks You Must Try Before You Leave" . Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  13. 1 2 3 "15 Traditional Coffee Zone Dishes | BnB Colombia Tours". 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
  14. "Origen, historia del tamal y tipos de tamales de Colombia según las regiones (in Spanish) - Origin, history of the tamale and types of tamales from Colombia according to the regions". Señal Colombia, Lised Blanco, 2024-07-09. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  15. "100 Plantas del Caribe colombiano (in Spanish) - 100 Plants of the Colombian Caribbean" . Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  16. "Cocido boyacense: el rescate de los tubérculos nativos (in Spanish) - Boyacense stew: the rescue of native tubers". Radio Nacional de Colombia, Gloria Morad, 2022-07-31. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  17. "Receta: ¿cómo preparar changua? y sus ingredientes (in Spanish) - Recipe: how to prepare changua? and its ingredients". El Espectador, Angela Martin Casas. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
  18. "Receta: cómo preparar una tradicional sopa de mute (in Spanish) - Recipe: how to prepare a traditional mute soup". El Espectador, Jorge Márquez. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
  19. "Postre de natas". tasteatlas.
  20. Colombia Travel. "Jugos naturales" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 3 January 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  21. Singh, Gitanjali M., et al. "Global, regional, and national consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juices, and milk: a systematic assessment of beverage intake in 187 countries." PLoS ONE 10.8 (2015): e0124845.
  22. Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, UNESCO, unesco.org
  23. Erica Dinho (2009-02-17). "Fruit Cocktail (Salpicón De Frutas)". My Colombian Recipes. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
  24. "El canelazo, una bebida para espantar el frío (in Spanish) - Canelazo, a drink to ward off the cold". Diario Correo, Perú, 2017-06-25. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  25. "Chicha". Colombia.com. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  26. "Una guía de fermentados y destilados caseros de las regiones colombianas (in Spanish) - A guide to fermented and homemade distillates from the Colombian regions". Colombia Visible, Andrés Ortiz. 22 November 2022. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  27. "Chirrinchi, el licor del desierto guajiro (in Spanish) - Chirrinchi, the liquor of the Guajiro desert". El Heraldo (Colombia). 22 March 2015. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  28. "Masato". Colombia.com. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  29. "El refajo". www.semana.com. 24 June 2006. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  30. "¿No sabe qué es el Sabajón? Aquí le decimos qué es y cómo se prepara (in Spanish) - Don't you know what Sabajón is? Here we tell you what it is and how to prepare it". Periódico digital El Campesino, Colombia, 2016-04-11. 11 April 2016. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  31. "Colombian Drinks: Traditional, Popular, Unique, Tasty, and Crazy". The Unconventional Route . 2018-07-24. Archived from the original on 2018-08-25. Retrieved 2022-01-03.