A have a very good friend living in Bogotá called Pedro. He is a Colombian who lived in Chile a couple of years for work but has now gone back to his home country. I had to go to Colombia for work though was lucky enough to get a few days off in its capital city and surrounding areas. Of course I took a lot of photos while I was there.
One of the highlights of that trip to Colombia was the day I caught up with Pedro who, eager to show me his country, took me to a typical Colombian ‘restaurant’. It wasn’t your classic ‘let’s-rip-off-the-tourists-with-a cheesy-show’ international restaurant that foreigners usually get sucked into. No, this was a small place tucked away in some hidden street away from the crowds. In Chile we would call it a ‘picada’, a place only the locals know of to get food (or drink) that is both good and cheap. It was the type of simple yet homely place that served food with the warm flavours and piled plates that would normally only come out of your mother’s kitchen. It was definitely not the scanty crap that some places try and impress you with when they serve you more grass and fluff decoration than the food itself (a pet hate of mine). Since I love to eat, and to eat well, this restaurant helped satisfy my desire to try REAL Colombian dishes.
See our Bandeja Paisa Recipe from Colombia and about our visit to the iconic Colombian Restaurant Andrés Carne de Res.
More photos of typical dishes of Colombia
Chunchullos
Cocido
Colitas en Guiso
Huesos de Marrano
Papa, Arepa, Yuca, Carne - Typical food of Colombia
Papitas Criollas
Patacones
Sobrebarriga en Salsa
Did you like the looks of those dishes? If you would like to learn more about these dishes and more, check out our page about Typical Colombian Food.
Have you tried any of these Colombian dishes? If so, what did you think of them?
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey!! Amazing descriptions!!! I found dishes that I even know as a Colombian!!! I think that if you are a foreigner that comes to Colombia you will be sure what you want to order!!
I just wanted to help with some things that saw in your descriptions:
It isn’t “hogoa”, Its Hogao, from the ancient expression “Ahogado” that means to simmer till mix the fat.
And about the Sancocho, I think that as the bandeja paisa it could be a national dish because you can find it along Colombia. Just that every sancocho depends of the region where is cooked, and it is not an eye-catching dish as the bandeja, but is so mouth-watering!!
You said that at the coast is more common the sancocho made of fish. But in the rest of colombia you can find sancocho made of hen, chicken, pork, beef, fish, etc.
Once I try a “trifásico” (three-phase)* made of pork, chicken and beef rips. As some people say.. ” everything that walks goes to the
pot” !!!!
I enjoyed reading you blog…. but it’s time. I’m going to have a sancocho!!!
Bye!!
*That’s the name that my friends used for dish, is not a common expression.
Thank you so much for your comments Alison. The expression “everything that walks goes to the pot” made me laugh.
I have now updated the page about Colombian Food (and fixed the spelling mistake – thanks for letting me know).
Saludos
Rob W.
these fodds actually look good. i may actually cook them!!!!
Hi,
this food, always remember me the place where I come from because here in asia is difficult to find those dishes. more special in philippines.
Sandra
Hi Sandra,
Do you have the ingredients in the Philippines to make the dishes? Do you know of other Colombians there?
Saludos,
Rob.
Hey, any one know an easy meal to make. I’m a 6th grader and my country is columbia and I really need the recipe thx
We have a young man coming for dinner on Thanksgiving who is from Colombia. I want him to feel welcome and need a Colombian recipe to cook for him. I think I will make the Arroz Cor Coco. Last year we had a student from Brazil and we made a wonderful fish stew with coconut milk. Thanks for the blog – it really helped!
hi i am from colombia so i know all this food cool so i speak spanish is a gift from God
Very nice article. I’m Colombian and I wanted to let you know of other foods we eat. My family is from Pereira and here are some traditional foods: Arroz con Leche, which is rice pudding with 3 different kinds of milk, Mondongo, which is part of a cow’s stomach, Pandebono, which is like a bread made with cheese, flour, and eggs. Also, Bocachico, which is fish, and there’s more but I can’t think at this very moment. Hope this helped.
Thank you so much for that Mariana. I will (hopefully get time to) add them to our page about Colombian Food later on in the week. I knew about Arroz con Leche (which I love), though I’m interested in trying the Pandebono which sounds yummy.
Is Mondongo fried, cooked in a pot or on a bbq?
Is Bocachico the name of the fish or the way a fish is prepared?
Saludos
Rob W.
Hi, there
The page http://www.southamerica.cl/Colombia/Food.htm looks good, but:
Good ajiaco needs 3 kind of potatoes.
Chunchullo is not part of the digestive but lymphatic system.
It missed some remarkable dishes like those based in goat (pepitoria, mute, cabrito), and many other dishes with fish and seafood apart from sancocho or viudo like ceviche; not mentioning indigenous and afrodescendants specialities.
Rob, mondongo is the thin intestine, boiled with potatoes. Bocachico is the name of a fresh water fish from the Characiforme order. It is delicious in the Amazon way: spicy and wrapped in palm tree leaves grilled in a bonfire. Let’s try the pandebono valluno with black coffee !
Thanks for answering my questions from earlier. It is appreciated.
Yes, there are a lot more dishes that we would like to include though it mainly depends on when I get back to Colombia again to investigate (I’m living in Chile) and also what our readers have been kind enough to share with us.
Saludos,
Rob W.
In the drinks page there is a mistake: the name is Canelazo (with an N), from the Spanish name for cinnamon (Canela).
When you mix coffee and aguapanela (or agüepanela) it is called “chaqueta”.
“Tinto” is always black coffee.
Haven’t visit your pages before. Good job!
Thanks Borugo,
I have made the changes on our site. I also included Bogadero (similar to Canelazo).
Cheers,
Rob W.
I thank your quick answers, Rob.
Just tell me when are you coming to the Colombian Amazon and we will prepar a “best food itinerary”.
If you contact me by mail, I would take time to help a bit with your pages.
Cheers.
Alejandro
http://www.borugo.com
Thanks for your offer Alejandro, I’ll get in contact with you about the pages.
And the Food Itinerary sounds VERY interesting. This year our travel plans are full but we are already looking into next year and I’d love to visit Colombia again. I’ll look into it.
Saludos
Rob W.
Colombia has some of the most delicious and varied food I’ve ever tasted.
Here are some of my favorites from Colombia
Thanks Kate, lots of good info there.
I just came from a Colombian restaurant in Virginia. It is called ‘Monserrate’. The sobrebarriga was very delicious I am planning to come back soon again.