World Flavors Cookbook

Colombia Recipes

Colombian cuisine reflects the country's extraordinary geographic diversity — from Caribbean coast to Andean highlands to Amazonian lowlands. Arepas (corn cakes), bandeja paisa (a monumental platter of beans, rice, and meats), ajiaco soup, and the world's finest coffee define a vibrant food culture.

Recipes from Colombia

• Bandeja Paisa

  A monumental platter representing the abundance of the Antioquia region, featuring beans, rice, meats, and avocado.

• Arepa con Queso

  Cheese-stuffed cornmeal cakes, a ubiquitous staple across Colombia for breakfast or snacks.

• Ajiaco Bogotano

  A rich, creamy chicken and potato soup from Bogotá, flavored with the unique guascas herb.

• Empanadas Colombianas

  Crispy, deep-fried corn dough turnovers filled with a savory mix of meat and potatoes.

• Lechona Tolimense

  A spectacular whole roasted pig stuffed with rice, peas, and spices, cooked for hours until the skin is perfectly crispy.

• Patacones con Hogao

  Twice-fried green plantain slices topped with a savory tomato and onion sauce.

• Sobrebarriga al Horno

  Flank steak slow-cooked until tender and then finished in the oven with breadcrumbs and spices.

• Buñuelos Colombianos

  Round, golden cheese fritters that are soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside.

• Arepa de Huevo

  A coastal specialty: a fried arepa that is opened, stuffed with a raw egg, and fried again until the egg is cooked.

• Pandebono

  Small, addictive cheese breads made with corn and cassava flour, popular in the Valle del Cauca region.

• Cazuela de Mariscos

  A luxurious Caribbean seafood stew made with coconut milk, shrimp, fish, and squid.

• Arroz con Coco (Coconut Rice)

  A sweet and savory coastal rice dish made by reducing coconut milk until it toasts into "titoté."

• Chigüiro a la Brasa

  Grilled capybara meat, a delicacy from the Eastern Plains (Llanos) of Colombia.

• Fritanga / Picada

  A communal platter of fried meats, tubers, and corn, meant for sharing among friends.

• Mondongo

  A hearty tripe soup with pork, chorizo, and vegetables, beloved for its complex texture.

• Tamal Tolimense

  Large, round tamales from Tolima, stuffed with chicken, pork, egg, and vegetables, wrapped in plantain leaves.

• Caldo de Costilla

  A clear beef rib broth with potatoes and cilantro, famously known as the ultimate hangover cure.

• Changua

  A polarizing Bogotá breakfast soup made with milk, water, poached eggs, and scallions.

• Mazamorra Antioqueña

  Cracked corn cooked until soft, served cold with milk and panela (raw cane sugar).

• Postre de Natas

  A classic milk-based dessert made by boiling milk repeatedly and collecting the cream (natas).

• Arroz con Pollo Colombiano

  A colorful one-pot dish of rice, shredded chicken, and vegetables, a staple for parties.

• Sudado de Pollo

  Slow-stewed chicken with potatoes and yuca in a savory tomato-onion sauce.

• Lulada

  A refreshing drink from Cali made with mashed lulo fruit, lime juice, and condensed milk.

• Champús

  An ancient drink of corn, pineapple, lulo, and spices like cloves and cinnamon.

• Aguapanela con Queso

  A hot sugarcane water drink served with a slice of salty cheese inside that melts slowly.

• Salpicón de Frutas

  A fruit cocktail in a light watermelon or papaya base, topped with condensed milk or ice cream.

• Chorizo con Arepa

  Grilled Colombian chorizo served with a simple white arepa and a squeeze of lime.

• Mojarra Frita

  Whole deep-fried tilapia or mojarra, a coastal classic usually served at the beach.

• Viuda de Pescado

  Salt-cured fish steamed on a bed of plantains, yuca, and potatoes in a "viuda" (widow) style.

• Hormigas Culonas (Roasted Ants)

  Toasted big-bottomed ants, a unique and crunchy snack from the Santander region.

• Mote de Queso

  A thick yam and cheese soup from the Caribbean savannahs, flavored with garlic and lemon.

• Carimañolas

  Torpedo-shaped cassava fritters filled with ground meat or cheese.

• Pescado en Cabrito

  Whole river fish stuffed with vegetables and grilled inside plantain leaves.

• Natilla Colombiana

  A firm, spiced custard made with panela and cornstarch, the centerpiece of Colombian Christmas.

• Arepas con Carne Mechada y Queso

  Thick griddled corn cakes filled with shredded beef and salty coastal cheese — the Colombian street breakfast from the Caribbean coast.

• Sudado de Pescado

  Fish steamed in a covered pot with tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and hogao sauce — the Colombian Pacific coast everyday fish dish.

• Hogao (Colombian Creole Sauce)

  Colombia's fundamental tomato and scallion sauce — slowly cooked until caramelized and used as a base and topping for virtually everything.

• Arepas de Choclo

  Sweet fresh corn arepas from the Colombian Andean highlands — thick, slightly sweet, served with butter and farmer cheese.

• Sancocho Costeño

  Caribbean coast sancocho with fish, yuca, plantain, and coconut milk — the coastal version of Colombia's great soup tradition.

• Tamales Bogotanos

  Bogotá-style tamales — corn masa filled with pork, chicken, potato, carrot, and egg, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.

• Arroz con Leche Colombiano

  Colombian rice pudding with coconut milk, raisins, and cinnamon — creamy, sweet, and fragrant.

• Caldo de Costilla

  Bogotá's sacred morning broth — beef ribs slowly simmered with potato and cilantro, served as breakfast before a long day.

• Postre de Natas

  Colombian cream skin dessert — milk slowly heated until a thick cream skin forms, layered with sugar, vanilla, and raisins.

• Chocolate Santafereño con Queso

  Bogotá-style hot chocolate with melted white cheese — the Colombian tradition of dipping cheese into hot chocolate and eating it as it melts.

• Lechona Tolimense

  Whole roasted pig stuffed with seasoned pork, rice, and peas — the slow-roasted Colombian feast dish from Tolima department.

• Limonada de Coco

  Colombian coconut lemonade blended with ice — a creamy, frothy, tropical drink from Cartagena beach restaurants.

• Empanadas de Pipián

  Colombian pumpkin seed empanadas — masa pastries filled with a spiced yellow pumpkin seed sauce.

• Insulsos (Corn Arepitas)

  Thin, crispy corn arepitas from Colombia's Tolima region — fried flat corn cakes eaten as a crunchy snack.

• Colada de Chontaduro

  Chontaduro (peach palm fruit) drink blended with milk and honey — the nutritious and distinctive beverage of Colombia's Pacific coast.

• Bandeja Paisa

  The monumental national plate of Colombia — a grand platter featuring red beans, white rice, ground meat, chicharrón (pork belly), chorizo, a fried egg, plantain, avocado, and an arepa.

• Ajiaco Bogotano

  Bogotá's signature chicken and potato soup, made with three varieties of potatoes and flavored with the unique guasca herb.

• Empanadas de Pipian

  Deep-fried cornmeal pockets filled with a savory mixture of beef and mashed potatoes, served with spicy ají sauce.

• Sopa de Frijoles Negros

  A velvety Cuban-style black bean soup perfumed with cumin, oregano, and a splash of sherry vinegar, served with rice and lime.

• Habichuelas Guisadas

  Puerto Rican stewed pink beans in a rich tomato sofrito sauce — served over rice at nearly every meal on the island.

• Arroz con Gandules

  Puerto Rico's Christmas table centerpiece — rice cooked with pigeon peas, sofrito, olives, and capers in a caldero.

• Boniato Frito (Fried Sweet Potato)

  Caribbean-style fried sweet potato — thick slices of white-fleshed boniato fried until golden with caramelized edges, a staple side dish.