Tamales tolimenses is a Colombian delicacy named after the Tolima region. This tamale variety is made with corn masa, peas, carrots, potatoes, chicken, pork, rice, and selected spices. Everything is neatly wrapped in plantain leaves, and the tamales are then slowly boiled, sometimes even up to four hours.
Locals love to eat tamales tolimenses for breakfast, traditionally with a cup of hot chocolate on the side.
MOST ICONIC Tamales Tolimenses
Ajiaco is the national dish of Colombia, a flavorful chicken and potato soup with the addition of herbs and corn. Considered a poor man's dish in the past, ajiaco must include three varieties of potatoes cooked together, abundant and inexpensive in Colombia.
It is best to use the local varieties of potatoes: the waxy sabanera, the tiny papas criollas and the soft pastusa. These varieties provide a thick and creamy texture of the final dish. Simmered in chicken or beef broth until they break down, the potatoes also provide a unique combination of flavors.
MOST ICONIC Ajiaco
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Perro caliente is a Colombian variety of the hot dog, characterized by its large size and unusual toppings. The sausage is steamed or boiled and usually topped with ingredients such as pineapple chunks, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, raspberries, bacon, and crushed potato chips.
The whole thing is placed in a bread roll which is then wrapped in paper or served in a styrofoam boat. There are a number of regional variations of this popular fast food, so some cooks like to add a bit of lettuce or a quail's egg on top.
MOST ICONIC Perro caliente colombiano
Arepa is a highly versatile cornbread made from ground corn dough or precooked corn flour. It is commonly consumed in Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. In Venezuela, arepa is eaten at any time of the day, throughout the whole country, and across all socio-economic groups.
The golden disks with a crispy, browned crust are commonly stuffed with a variety of ingredients, and the combinations are seemingly infinite, from beans, cheese, and avocado to shredded beef and onions. For a Venezuelan breakfast, arepas are traditionally paired with a cup of strong coffee and hot dipping chocolate.
VARIATIONS OF Arepa
MOST ICONIC Arepa
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Bandeja paisa, also known as bandeja de arriero, bandeja montanera and bandeja antioquena, is Colombia's national dish since 2005, a heavy, caloric meal traditionally served on a big, oval platter and intended to be eaten for lunch.
Originally, the platter provided nutrition and energy to the farmers to keep them going for the whole day and there are a total of 13 ingredients used in the dish, including golden-fried chorizo sausages with lime, hogau sauce, cooked white rice, ground beef, plantain, arepa (a thin, fried corn cake), avocado, stewed red beans, fried pork belly, and a fried egg on top of it all.
MOST ICONIC Bandeja paisa
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Almojábana is a traditional and Puerto Rican bread (although it is also popular in other countries of Latin America) that is very similar to pandebono. Pandebono is usually made with yuca flour and costeño cheese, while almojábanas are made with cuajada white cheese and cornmeal flour.
Almojábanas are baked until they develop a spongy texture and a golden brown color of the exterior. This small, round bread is traditionally served warm.
MOST ICONIC Almojábana
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Lechona is a traditional dish consisting of a roasted pig stuffed with onions, peas, fresh herbs, and various spices. The pig is roasted for a long time until the meat is tender and succulent. The dish is usually prepared for celebrations and festivities since one lechona can produce as many as 100 servings.
This unique Colombian delicacy can be found in numerous restaurants throughout the country's largest cities.
MOST ICONIC Lechona
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Pan de bono is a traditional bread consisting of cassava starch, cornmeal or corn flour, queso fresco, eggs, and sugar. The bread is shaped into bagels or balls that are slightly larger than golf balls. Pan de bono is similar to other South American cheese breads like pan de queso, difference being added conr flour or cornmeal, and a hint of sweeteness due to the addition of sugar.
It is usually served warm with a cup of hot chocolate on the side. Some claim that the name pan de bono was created after an Italian baker in Cali who used to yell pane del buono (good bread), while others say that it is named after a place called Hacienda El Bono, where it was first made.
MOST ICONIC Pan de bono
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Bollo is a traditional bun that can be made with corn, yuca, or potatoes. The bun is also very popular in Panama in Spain. Typically, it is served for breakfast, when it is accompanied by cheese on the side. All along the Colombian coast, bollo can be bought from numerous street vendors who are selling it freshly prepared from corn leaves in which the buns were wrapped before cooking, although it can also be easily found in various supermarkets.
MOST ICONIC Bollo
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Obleas are thin Colombian wafers characterized by their round shape and a slightly brown color. They’re customarily spread with arequipe caramel and other toppings such as fruit jams, grated cheese, or chocolate sprinkles. The shredded cheese is usually added for texture as it doesn't have an overpowering flavor.
Obleas are also popular in Venezuela, El Salvador, and Mexico, among other countries. Some people claim that the first obleas were made around Floridablanca in Santander, where the first oblea factory was set up in the 1940s. Depending on regional preferences, the wafers can be served sandwiched with fillings such as condensed milk or Chantilly cream.
MOST ICONIC Obleas
