Colombia is such a large, diverse country, and the only Latin American country with a Caribbean coast and a Pacific coast. Cartagena on the Caribbean coast had lots of fresh seafood like ceviche, whereas the mountainous areas are known for their parrilla, or grilled meats.
The Antioquia region is known for the lunchtime staple of bandeja paisa. In Medellín, I was able to get a vegan version (on the right). The food there was the best with tons of affordable plant-based options, probably influenced by expats and what felt like a larger young middle class.
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Ajíaco soup with the traditional pairings of avocado, rice, and capers |
Colombia has numerous variations on cheese-inside-fried-bread: pandebono (my favorite), empanadas, almohabana, palito de queso, carimañolas, etc.
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Palito de queso |
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Carimañolas, made from yucca and cheese |
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Buñuelos, can be stuffed with arequipe (like dulce de leche) or other flavors |
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Chocolate completo, the cheese goes inside the hot chocolate |
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Tamal |
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Cheese with fig and arequipe or guava paste, sold by street vendors on a thin round wafer called oblea
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Chicha is a fermented, alcoholic drink, seen on the streets of Bogotá, originally made by indigenous people chewing corn mash and spitting into an earthenware jar, outlawed in 1949 because of neocolonialist campaigns associating it with poverty and crime |