Generally people don’t rant and rave about Colombian food or alcohol, which means people think there isn’t anything to celebrate. This is far from true. Even now that I’m back home I can taste all the organic, fresh, and insanely delicious food Colombia had to offer. Because I understand “shiny red ball syndrome,”however, I’ll try to keep this short, as I could go on forever about food (I love the stuff). On the menu today:
Everyday Foods
Mazamorra. Mazamorra is a corn-based drink that accompanies lunch or dinner and is also sometimes eaten alone as breakfast or a midday snack. The corn grains are crushed, soaked in water, and then cooked until soft. Once soft, the resulting chunks are placed in milk. Mazamorra is served with panela (an unrefined sugar product), or bocadillo (guava paste). It’s delightfully light but filling. Mazamorra is available almost everywhere you’ll eat and street vendors will announce via klaxon that they’re selling it. Oh, by the way, street vendors will only sell you the grains. You must add the milk.
Mazamorra. Translation: Moor's Dough
Panela, an unrefined sugar product from sugar cane
Bocadillo, can also be paired with cheese or eaten alone.
Chorizo con Arepa y Limon. Chorizo is a coarse meat sausage made from pork. Depending on who makes it or what’s in it, a chorizo can taste very different between kitchens and vendors. You will find these everywhere! A chorizo is always accompanied by an arepa, or a flat patty made from cornmeal, and a slice of lime. It’s absolutely delicious but will make your waistline grow if you eat enough of it…trust me.
Chorizo con Arepa y Limon
Grilled Arepas
Bunuelo, Pandebono y Pan de Queso. These baked goods are typical breakfast items that are also eaten throughout the day as snacks with coffee.
A bunuelo is a ball-shaped cheese fritter that is also eaten with natilla at Christmas in Colombia, and (I believe) are eaten solo during Ramadan and among Sephardic Jews. Bunuelos are also, apparently, common in Turkey, Greece, Morroco, the Phillipines, Latin America, and Spain.
A pandebono is a type of cheese bread made from tapioca flour and precooked cornmeal. Pandebono’s looks like a mix between a bialy and donut.
A pan de queso, literally bread of cheese, is a cheese bread made to look like a dinner roll.
These three are the the most popular items found at bakeries, which are at like every corner. Any one of these, or all three if you’re feeling…hungry are delicious with coffee or aguapanela, panela water.
Be careful, for these goodies will also expand your waistline!
Assorted Baked Goods
Pandebono Con Cafe
Bunuelos
Everything there will expand your waistline, honestly, because the food is just too damned good not to eat. Self-control, smelf-comprol; there will be no such thing.
Nothing on this page will cost more than 6.000 COP ($2-3 USD) and like I said, it’s all typical food that is available pretty much everywhere you’ll go. In the states, especially NY, these items are popular in Colombian dining establishments, so if you’re not traveling to Colombia anytime soon, you can still try these, though it will run you more than $2-3. In NYC, I recommend strolling through Queens, a first stop among newly Americanized Colombians, where you’ll find dozens of Colombian restaurants each with their own version of most of the above.
Just sit back, relax, and eat!
