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What to eat in Colombia? Top 14 Colombian Breads

Last update: Thu Feb 13 2025
Top 14 Colombian Breads
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01
Pan de bono
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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

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02

Bread Roll

COLOMBIA and  one more country
4.4
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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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03

Bread Roll

ANTIOQUIA DEPARTMENT, Colombia
4.3
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Pan de queso is a cheese bread from Colombia, namely the Paisa region where it is extremely popular. The main ingredients are tapioca flour and grated cheese, but it is the fermented cassava starch that gives these rolls their lightness and volume.


They are eaten for breakfast or as a parva—a quick breakfast snack, either plain or filled with cream cheese or jelly.

MOST ICONIC Pan de queso

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04

Sandwich type

COLOMBIA and  one more region
4.2
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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. 

MOST ICONIC Arepa

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05

Bread Roll

COLOMBIA and  one more region
4.2
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Pan de yuca is a traditional bread consisting of cassava flour, eggs, and cheese. It is usually shaped into small, round balls. The bread is popular throughout Colombia and Ecuador, although there are variations on pan de yuca throughout Latin America.


It makes for a delicious warm appetizer or an afternoon snack, preferably paired with a cup of hot chocolate, tea, or coffee.

MOST ICONIC Pan de yuca

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06

Pancake

COLOMBIA and  6 more regions
4.2
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Cachapa, chorreada, arepa de choclo, güirila, toquera, tortilla de choclo, and tortilla changa, are all names that describe a Latin American corn dish that can be categorized as either a pancake, tortilla, or flatbread, depending on the country.


It can be made only of corn or have additional ingredients like sugar, water, milk, salt, butter, cheese, and oil. They are typically prepared by street vendors and are either fried or griddled (in Nicaragua, they’re cooked between two banana leaves!) and characterized by a sweet-savory flavor. 
07
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Pan trenza is a traditional braided bread made with a combination of flour, sugar, salt, yeast, oil, and eggs. Apart from these basic ingredients, some people also like to add guava, raisins, or cheese to the bread in order to enrich it with more flavor.


Once the dough has been prepared, it is rolled into strands, braided, brushed with egg wash, then baked until golden brown. This simple bread can be found in most bakeries throughout Colombia.

08

Flatbread

ANTIOQUIA DEPARTMENT, Colombia
3.7
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One of the most omnipresent local dishes in the Paisa region of Colombia is the traditional arepa paisa, made from soaked threshed corn that is shaped and grilled until golden brown. This crispy and luscious corn cake can be eaten on its own, served as a side dish, or stuffed with variable fillings such as cheese, meat, or eggs - you can eat it with whatever choice of filling you want.


The versatility of the arepa paisa is only matched by the love the locals have for it - a typical breakfast in this region is centered on it (topped with butter, salt, and slices of cheese), and sometimes the dish is part of all meals of the day! And because you can find arepa paisa at every supermarket, street vendor or restaurant, there's always a perfect one available at all times.

MOST ICONIC Arepa paisa

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09

Flatbread

SANTANDER DEPARTMENT, Colombia
3.7
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Arepa Santandereana is a Colombian arepa variety from the El Santander department. These arepas are made with yellow corn masa, cassava, and crispy pork belly – also known as chicharrón. They are usually grilled, and it is recommended to consume them while fresh and hot.


Arepa Santandereana is traditionally eaten as a snack, but it can also be served as an accompaniment to traditional Colombian dishes.

MOST ICONIC Arepa Santandereana

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10
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Pan aliñado is a Colombian bread that is usually made with flour, yeast, butter, sugar, salt, powdered milk, and queso fresco. Once kneaded, the dough should be elastic and smooth, and it is then baked until golden brown. Crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, cheese-filled and buttery, this bread can be found in almost every bakery in Colombia.


It is recommended to consume it with coffee or hot chocolate as a tasty mid-afternoon snack.

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Bread
COLOMBIA
3.4
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13
Bread
CUNDINAMARCA DEPARTMENT, Colombia
n/a
14
Bread
SOACHA, Colombia
n/a

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 14 Colombian Breads” list until February 13, 2025, 1,438 ratings were recorded, of which 722 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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Colombian Breads