The quick version: Colombian food changes completely from one region to the next. The Andes are known for soups, potatoes, corn and slow-cooked meat. The Caribbean and Pacific coasts use more seafood, coconut and plantain, while the eastern plains are famous for beef cooked over an open fire. For a first taste, start with empanadas, bandeja paisa, ajiaco, lechona, sancocho, patacones, pandebono and a good coastal seafood dish.
I have lived in Medellín since 2018, and Colombian food has grown on me more with time. It is not normally hot or heavily spiced. The flavour often comes from long cooking, fresh herbs, hogao, corn, beans, cheese, coconut and ripe or green plantain.
It is also easy to judge the whole cuisine by one oversized bandeja paisa in a tourist restaurant. That misses the point. Colombia has many regional kitchens, and some of the best dishes are simple breakfasts, bakery snacks, soups and family meals.
This guide covers 52 traditional Colombian dishes and drinks, including the classics most visitors should try and a few regional foods that are harder to find.
Colombian food at a glance
| If you want… | Start with… |
| The most famous plate | Bandeja paisa |
| A comforting soup | Ajiaco or sancocho |
| Street food | Empanadas or arepa de huevo |
| A Colombian breakfast | Calentado with egg and arepa |
| Food from the coast | Cazuela de mariscos, encocado or arroz con coco |
| A bakery snack | Pandebono, buñuelo or almojábana |
| Something sweet | Obleas, milhojas or bocadillo with cheese |
| A Medellín specialty | Cazuela de frijoles, chicharrón or mondongo |
What Colombian food is really like
There is no single national style. Colombia is large, mountainous and culturally diverse, so ingredients and cooking methods change by region. A meal in Bogotá can look very different from one in Cartagena, Cali, Pasto or the Llanos.
Antioquia and the Coffee Region are known for beans, pork, arepas and filling plates. Bogotá and the high Andes lean toward hot soups, potatoes and corn. The Caribbean coast brings coconut rice, fried fish and seafood, while the Pacific is especially strong on fish, coconut milk and herbs. In the eastern plains, meat is often cooked slowly over wood fires.
Colombian food is usually mild. Ají is often served on the side, so you can add heat yourself. Lunch is traditionally the main meal, and a simple menú del día often includes soup, a main plate, a drink and sometimes a small dessert.
52 traditional Colombian dishes to try
The dishes most visitors should start with
1. Colombian empanadas
Colombian empanadas are usually made with a yellow corn dough and fried until crisp. The filling changes by region, but beef, chicken, potato and rice are common. They are served with ají, a fresh sauce made with chilli, onion, tomato, coriander and lime.
Small empanadas are an easy introduction to Colombian street food. Look for a busy bakery or food stand where they are coming out hot rather than sitting under a lamp.
2. Bandeja paisa
Bandeja paisa is the best-known dish from Antioquia. A full plate may include beans, rice, ground beef, chicharrón, chorizo, fried egg, ripe plantain, avocado and an arepa.
It is extremely filling, and the quality varies more than people admit. Sharing one or ordering a smaller version is often a better idea than forcing down the largest plate on the menu.
3. Arepas
Arepas are flat corn cakes eaten across Colombia, but there is no single standard version. Some are plain and thin, some are sweet, and others are stuffed with egg, meat or cheese.
The basic Antioquian arepa can taste plain on its own because it is meant to sit beside beans, eggs or meat. For a more exciting first try, order an arepa de choclo with cheese or a filled arepa.
4. Ajiaco santafereño
Ajiaco is Bogotá’s signature soup. It combines chicken, corn and several types of potato, including a small yellow potato that breaks down and thickens the broth. Guascas, a local herb, gives the soup its recognisable flavour.
Cream, capers and avocado are normally served on the side. It is one of the best Colombian meals on a cool or rainy day.
5. Lechona
Lechona comes from Tolima and is made by slow-roasting pork with peas, rice and seasoning until the meat is tender and the skin is crisp. It is often served at celebrations, but specialist restaurants sell it by the portion every day.
A good serving should have a mix of soft meat, seasoned rice and a piece of crunchy skin. It is rich, so a modest portion is usually enough.
6. Sancocho
Sancocho is not one fixed recipe. It is a family of hearty soups made with chicken, beef, pork or fish, plus yuca, plantain, corn and other vegetables. The exact combination depends on the region and the cook.
It is also a social meal. Families often prepare a large pot outdoors on weekends or holidays, especially at a finca or beside a river.
7. Tamal tolimense
The Tolima-style tamal is one of Colombia’s best-known tamales. Corn dough, chicken, pork, egg and vegetables are wrapped in a banana leaf and cooked slowly.
Tamales are common weekend breakfasts and holiday food. Open the leaf carefully, add a little ají if you like, and expect a very filling meal.
8. Patacones
Patacones are made from green plantain that is fried, flattened and fried again. They are crisp outside, soft in the middle and served as a side dish or as a base for meat, seafood, cheese or guacamole.
They are one of my favourite Colombian foods. The best ones arrive hot with enough salt and a little crunch around the edges.
9. Pandebono
Pandebono is a small cheese bread associated with the Valle del Cauca. It is commonly made with cassava starch, corn flour and cheese, which gives it a chewy centre and a lightly crisp outside.
Eat it warm. A fresh pandebono with coffee is far better than one that has been sitting in a display case for hours.
10. Cazuela de mariscos
Cazuela de mariscos is a rich seafood stew found mainly on Colombia’s coasts. Shrimp, fish, squid and shellfish are cooked in a creamy broth that often includes coconut milk, tomato, onion and garlic.
It is usually served with rice and patacones. This is not a light dish, but a good version is one of the best coastal meals you can order.
Soups, stews and everyday home cooking
11. Mondongo
Mondongo is a thick soup made with finely cut tripe, potato, yuca and vegetables. It is slow-cooked until the tripe is tender and the broth becomes rich.
The texture is not for everyone, but the flavour is much milder than many visitors expect. In Medellín, it is easy to find at traditional restaurants.
12. Cazuela de frijoles
Cazuela de frijoles is a smaller, neater relative of bandeja paisa. Red beans are served in a clay bowl with toppings such as ground beef, chicharrón, ripe plantain and avocado.
For many visitors, it is the better choice. You get the main Paisa flavours without facing a plate the size of a serving tray.
13. Sudado de pollo
Sudado de pollo is a simple chicken stew cooked with tomato, onion, potato and herbs. It is everyday Colombian home food rather than a restaurant showpiece.
The chicken cooks in its own sauce until tender and is normally served with rice and avocado. It is dependable, comforting and usually good value.
14. Caldo de costilla
Caldo de costilla is a clear beef-rib soup with potato, onion, garlic and coriander. It is commonly eaten for breakfast, especially after a late night.
The broth is simple and salty, and the meat should be soft enough to come away from the bone. Bread or an arepa often comes on the side.
15. Calentado
Calentado means reheated, and that is exactly how the dish began. Leftover rice and beans are fried together and served for breakfast with egg, arepa, avocado or meat.
It may not sound special, but it is one of the most satisfying Colombian breakfasts. It is also a good way to understand how ordinary households eat.
16. Changua
Changua is a Bogotá breakfast soup made with milk, water, egg, spring onion and coriander. Bread is added to the bowl or served beside it.
People tend to love it or dislike it immediately. The combination of milk, egg and coriander is unusual, but it makes sense on a cold morning in the high Andes.
17. Cocido boyacense
Cocido boyacense is a large stew from Boyacá made with several meats and local vegetables. Potatoes, yuca, corn, beans and other Andean ingredients may all appear in the same meal.
It is rustic, heavy and made for cool weather. This is the sort of dish to try in a traditional restaurant rather than a modern food hall.
18. Mute santandereano
Mute is a substantial soup from Santander. It is made with corn, beans, potato, yuca, vegetables and different cuts of meat, depending on the recipe.
A bowl can be a complete lunch. The long list of ingredients sounds chaotic, but slow cooking brings everything together.
19. Mote de queso
Mote de queso is a creamy soup from Colombia’s Caribbean region, especially Córdoba and Sucre. It is made with ñame, a starchy root vegetable, and salty costeño cheese.
The sharp cheese and mild, thick soup work surprisingly well together. It is one of the most distinctive vegetarian-friendly traditional dishes, although recipes may still use animal stock.
20. Arroz atollado
Arroz atollado comes from the Valle del Cauca. It is a soft, moist rice dish cooked with chicken, pork, sausage, potato and vegetables.
The texture sits somewhere between risotto and a very thick stew. It is filling, homely and often served with fried plantain.
Meat, seafood and plates made for sharing
21. Colombian chicharrón
Colombian chicharrón is a strip of pork belly with crisp skin and tender meat. It appears in bandeja paisa, bean casseroles and shared meat platters.
A good piece has a loud crunch without being dry all the way through. Add lime and eat it while it is hot.
22. Chorizo santarrosano
Colombian chorizo is usually fresh rather than cured. The version from Santa Rosa de Cabal is especially well known and is commonly grilled, then served with arepa and lime.
It is less paprika-heavy than Spanish chorizo and normally has a simple pork, garlic and spice flavour.
23. Carne a la llanera
Carne a la llanera, also called mamona, comes from the eastern plains. Large pieces of beef are placed around an open fire and cooked slowly over wood.
The method gives the meat a smoky outside while keeping it juicy. It is usually served simply with yuca, potato or plantain.
24. Fritanga
Fritanga is a mixed plate of fried or grilled meats, sausages, offal, potato, yuca and plantain. It is designed for sharing and often arrives as a large pile in the middle of the table.
Order it with friends and try a little of everything. It is heavy food, but that is part of the experience.
25. Picada
A picada is another shared platter, usually with chopped beef, chorizo, chicharrón, sausage, arepa, potato and yuca. The exact mix depends on the restaurant.
The difference between picada and fritanga is not always clear, and menus use the names loosely. In practice, both are social meat-heavy plates.
26. Sobrebarriga
Sobrebarriga is flank steak cooked slowly until tender. It may be served in a tomato and onion sauce, baked with breadcrumbs or grilled after braising.
Because the cut can be tough, the cooking time matters. A good version is soft, rich and best with potato or yuca.
27. Trucha
Trout is popular in the cooler mountain regions, where it is farmed in clean, cold water. It may be grilled, fried or served with garlic, almond or creamy sauces.
Around Antioquia and the Coffee Region, some countryside restaurants have ponds where visitors can catch a trout before it is cooked.
28. Ceviche de camarones
Colombian shrimp ceviche is different from the raw-fish versions found elsewhere in Latin America. The shrimp is normally cooked and mixed with lime, onion, coriander, tomato sauce and sometimes mayonnaise.
It is sweet, tangy and commonly served in a cup with salty crackers. Try it from a busy, clean seafood stand where turnover is high.
29. Encocado de pescado
Encocado is a coconut-based dish from the Pacific coast. Fish or seafood is cooked with coconut milk, herbs, onion, garlic and peppers until the sauce becomes fragrant and creamy.
The flavour is deeper and more herbal than many Caribbean coconut dishes. Rice and plantain usually come alongside it.
30. Arroz con coco
Arroz con coco is a coastal side dish made by cooking rice with coconut. Some versions are pale and savoury, while others use caramelised coconut solids and have a darker colour and gentle sweetness.
It is especially good with fried fish, seafood and salad. This is one of the foods that makes a Caribbean lunch feel completely different from a meal in Medellín or Bogotá.
Breads, snacks and street food
31. Arepa de huevo
Arepa de huevo is a Caribbean street food made by frying a corn arepa, opening it, adding a raw egg and frying it again. Some versions include seasoned ground meat.
The technique is clever, and the result is crisp, rich and messy in the best way. Eat it fresh with ají or suero.
32. Arepa de choclo
Arepa de choclo is made from sweet corn and usually folded around melted cheese. It is softer, sweeter and more flavourful than the plain white arepas common in Antioquia.
It works as breakfast, a snack or a light meal. This is often the arepa I recommend to visitors who find the basic version too plain.
33. Buñuelos
Colombian buñuelos are round cheese fritters with a crisp shell and a soft, airy centre. They are sold all year, but they are especially linked with Christmas.
Freshness matters. A warm buñuelo from a busy bakery can be excellent; a cold one from the previous day is a completely different food.
34. Almojábanas
Almojábanas are soft cheese breads made with cornmeal and fresh cheese. They are less chewy than pandebono and usually have a mild, slightly sweet flavour.
They are best warm with coffee or hot chocolate. Bakeries often sell them beside buñuelos and pandebonos, so it is easy to compare all three.
35. Bizcochos de achira
These small, crisp biscuits come from Huila and are made with achira starch and cheese. They are dry, salty and slightly crumbly.
They travel well, which is why they are a common road-trip snack and an easy food souvenir to take home.
36. Carimañolas
Carimañolas are torpedo-shaped yuca fritters from the Caribbean coast. They are filled with seasoned beef or cheese and fried until the outside is crisp.
The yuca dough is heavier and chewier than an empanada shell. They are common at breakfast stands and bakeries along the coast.
37. Aborrajados
Aborrajados are a sweet and savoury snack from the Valle del Cauca. Ripe plantain is filled with cheese, coated in batter and fried.
The combination sounds excessive, and it is, but the salty cheese keeps the sweet plantain from becoming too much.
38. Salchipapas
Salchipapas are fries topped with sliced sausage and sauces. Larger versions may add cheese, chicken, bacon, quail eggs or shredded meat.
This is late-night fast food rather than a traditional family recipe, but it is part of everyday street food across Colombia.
39. Arroz con pollo
Arroz con pollo is a familiar home and party dish made with seasoned rice, shredded chicken and vegetables. It often appears at birthdays, school events and family gatherings.
It is not uniquely Colombian, but the local version is a standard part of everyday cooking and is usually served with potato chips, salad or ripe plantain.
40. Bocadillo con queso
Bocadillo is a firm guava paste, and pairing it with salty white cheese is a classic Colombian snack. The sweet and salty combination is simple but works.
You may see it served on its own, inside pastries or with arequipe. It is also easy to buy in supermarkets and bus terminals.
Sweets and desserts
41. Natilla
Colombian natilla is a firm milk-based Christmas dessert thickened with cornstarch and flavoured with panela and cinnamon. It is cut into portions rather than served like a soft custard.
Families often make it in December and eat it with buñuelos. Coconut or raisins may be added, depending on the household.
42. Hojuelas
Hojuelas are thin strips of fried dough dusted with sugar. They are light, crisp and especially common during the Christmas season.
They look simple, but a good hojuela should be delicate rather than oily or hard.
43. Torta de tres leches
Tres leches cake is soaked with a mixture of milks until the sponge becomes very moist. It is often topped with cream, meringue or fruit.
The dessert is popular across Latin America, including Colombia. It is rich, sweet and commonly served at birthdays and celebrations.
44. Postre de natas
Postre de natas is an old-fashioned dessert made by collecting the skin that forms as milk heats, then cooking it with sugar and eggs.
The texture is soft and slightly unusual. It is less common than modern cakes, but traditional restaurants in Bogotá still serve it.
45. Brevas con arequipe
Brevas are figs cooked in syrup and filled or served with arequipe, Colombia’s version of dulce de leche. Cheese may also be added.
It is intensely sweet. A small portion is enough, especially after a heavy lunch.
46. Obleas
Obleas are thin round wafers spread with arequipe and pressed together. Street stands may add cheese, jam, cream, coconut or crushed nuts.
The basic version is easy to eat while walking. The fully loaded version can become a small engineering problem.
47. Milhojas
Milhojas means a thousand layers. Crisp sheets of pastry are stacked with pastry cream, arequipe or both, then topped with sugar or icing.
It is messy to cut and almost impossible to eat neatly, but that is part of the appeal.
48. Mazamorra
Antioquian mazamorra is made with large cooked corn kernels and milk. It is often served with panela or bocadillo for sweetness.
The flavour is mild and the texture takes some getting used to. Colombians may serve it after a meal, although it is closer to a drinkable snack than a typical dessert.
Drinks and cooling treats
49. Aguapanela
Aguapanela is made by dissolving panela, unrefined cane sugar, in hot or cold water. Lime is often added to the cold version, while the hot version may come with cheese.
It is inexpensive, widely available and much more common in daily life than many visitors realise.
50. Hot chocolate with cheese
In parts of the Colombian Andes, hot chocolate is served with pieces of mild cheese. The cheese is dropped into the drink, allowed to soften and then eaten with a spoon.
It sounds wrong to many visitors until they try it. The key is using a mild, salty cheese rather than a strongly flavoured one.
51. Salpicón de frutas
Salpicón is a mix of chopped tropical fruit in juice or a sweet red drink. It may be topped with ice cream, condensed milk, cereal or grated cheese.
It sits somewhere between fruit salad and dessert. On a hot afternoon, the simpler version with plenty of fruit is hard to beat.
52. Cholado
Cholado comes from the Valle del Cauca and combines shaved ice, fruit, syrup, condensed milk and other toppings. Every stand builds it a little differently.
It is colourful, very sweet and best treated as a full dessert rather than a drink.
Other regional foods you may come across
A list of 52 cannot cover a country with thousands of documented regional recipes. Other foods worth looking for include lomo al trapo, chicha, lulada, cuy asado in the south, and hormigas culonas in Santander. Some are everyday foods in their home region; others are seasonal or mainly sold as regional specialties.
What to order in Medellín
Medellín is a good place to start with Antioquian food. My first choices would be a small bandeja paisa or cazuela de frijoles, chicharrón, empanadas with ají, calentado for breakfast and a warm bakery snack such as pandebono or buñuelo.
For a traditional lunch, look for a restaurant serving menú del día. These meals are usually simpler and more representative of daily Colombian food than the polished dishes found in tourist restaurants.
Plaza Minorista and Placita de Flórez are useful places to see ingredients and try fruit, snacks and basic meals. Go during the day, keep your phone put away when you are not using it and carry small notes for market purchases.
Tips for eating in Colombia
Lunch is often the largest meal. A menú del día can include soup, a main plate and a drink.
Colombian food is normally mild. Ask for ají if you want more heat.
Portions can be large, especially with bandeja paisa, picada and fritanga. Sharing is normal.
Busy bakeries are usually the best places for fresh pandebono, buñuelos and empanadas.
On the coast, choose seafood restaurants and stands with good turnover and visible refrigeration.
Vegetarian travellers should ask what is in the beans, rice and soup. Pork stock or small pieces of meat may not be obvious.
Tipping is often suggested as a voluntary service charge in sit-down restaurants. Check the bill before paying.
Frequently asked questions
Is Colombian food spicy?
Usually not. Most dishes are mild, and ají is served separately. Coastal and Pacific cooking can be more strongly seasoned, but it is not normally chilli-hot.
What is the most famous Colombian dish?
Bandeja paisa is probably the most internationally recognised. Ajiaco, lechona and sancocho are equally important in their own regions.
What should I try first in Medellín?
Start with empanadas, cazuela de frijoles, chicharrón, calentado and a smaller bandeja paisa. Add a warm pandebono or buñuelo from a busy bakery.
Is Colombian food good for vegetarians?
There are options, but traditional menus rely heavily on meat and stock. Arepas, patacones, arepa de choclo, fruit, many bakery items and some soups can work, but always ask about the ingredients.
What is a typical Colombian breakfast?
Common breakfasts include eggs with arepa, calentado, tamal, caldo de costilla, changua and bakery bread with coffee or hot chocolate. The choice changes by region.
Where can I try traditional Colombian food?
Traditional lunch restaurants, bakeries, market halls and busy neighborhood restaurants are often better than places aimed only at tourists.
Final thoughts
Colombian food makes more sense when you stop looking for one national signature dish. The real story is regional: beans and pork in Antioquia, potato soups in the high Andes, coconut and seafood on the coasts, and fire-roasted meat on the plains.
Try the famous plates, but leave room for the ordinary foods too. A hot empanada, a fresh pandebono or a simple lunch in a neighborhood restaurant may be the meal you remember most.
