Fill out your data to get our latest news and publications








    Six “Perfect Moment” Colombian treats you just have to try

    Traditional snacks, drinks and dishes are the source of much affection in Colombia, especially those that are associated with life’s […]

    Traditional snacks, drinks and dishes are the source of much affection in Colombia, especially those that are associated with life’s happiest rituals. If you’re keen to try the following Colombian treats, make sure you pick the perfect moment.

    Lechona

    Colombia is a soccer-loving country, so it goes without saying there’s a traditional dish to be eaten the moment you leave the stadium. Lechona means “suckling pig” and it really is a beast of a dish, with the meat extracted from a huge pig then marinated in delicious herbs and spices. The pork is mixed with peas, onions and beef and stuffed right back into the pig skin. That satisfying blend is then served piping hot with an arepa to fans who devour it after a game, regardless whether they have won or lost.

    fritanga, aromatica, fruit infusions, cholao/raspao, lechona, berraquillo, aguadepanela con queso, aguapanela and cheese, colombia, food, dishes, celebrations

    Lechona – yonolatengo

    Berraquillo

    This is the famous “Bogotá aphrodisiac”, which means we don’t need to tell you the perfect moment to drink this heady beverage (it’s also considered an energy drink and a hangover cure too).

    Berraquillo mixes crabmeat and borojo fruit with numerous other ingredients including cola, chocolate, wine, whisky, honey and milk, depending where you buy it. Berraquillo is a stalwart of market places across the capital, although it’s best left to those with a strong stomach… and an even stronger appetite.

    fritanga, aromatica, fruit infusions, cholao/raspao, lechona, berraquillo, aguadepanela con queso, aguapanela and cheese, colombia, food, dishes, celebrations

    Borojó – Jean Drapp

    Fritanga

    Fritanga is the dish of choice for many a hungry sportsman, particularly when they’ve just finished playing either of Colombia’s most beloved pastimes, tejo and rana. Tejo is a team game that involves hurling a metal disk at a gunpowder-laced target, whereas rana is a table game, with players attempting to throw chips into a hole resembling a frog’s mouth. Sports venues traditionally serve a post-match fritanga, a plate piled high with treats that normally includes pork, chorizo, blood sausage, potatoes and plantain. (You may also enjoy: Colombia’s most beloved sports: Tejo and chaza)

    fritanga, aromatica, fruit infusions, cholao/raspao, lechona, berraquillo, aguadepanela con queso, aguapanela and cheese, colombia, food, dishes, celebrations

    Fritanga – Yassef Briceño García

    Cholado/Raspao

    Bogota’s ciclovía, where roads are closed for running, cycling, roller-blading and dog walking every Sunday, is gaining worldwide recognition, which naturally means it deserves a snack of its own. Raspao or cholado/cholao is a fruit salad, usually pineapple, apple, coconut, papaya, strawberry and kiwi, drenched in condensed milk and syrup and mixed with shaved ice (hielo raspado in Spanish) that makes for the perfect ciclovía pit-stop. It originated in the Valle de Cauca, where it’s the treat of choice in the sunshine too, sometimes with the fruit omitted.

    fritanga, aromatica, fruit infusions, cholao/raspao, lechona, berraquillo, aguadepanela con queso, aguapanela and cheese, colombia, food, dishes, celebrations

    Cholao – Raspao

    Aguadepanela and cheese

    Few culinary delights are more quintessentially bogotano than aguadepanela con queso. Aguadepanela or aguapanela is an infusion drink made by dissolving unrefined whole cane sugar (panela) in boiling water, which is then served with a slab of Colombia’s softest cheese.

    The drink has near legendary status for its supposed ability to cure common ailments, including colds and flu, and its energizing powers that make it ideal for coping with the capital’s 2,600m altitude or recovering after exercise. The perfect moment to order aguadepanela con queso is when you reach the top of Monserrate mountain, especially if you climbed, rather than taking the cable car. (You may also enjoy: 5 Colombian grandmother remedies you will be offered)

    fritanga, aromatica, fruit infusions, cholao/raspao, lechona, berraquillo, aguadepanela con queso, aguapanela and cheese, colombia, food, dishes, celebrations

    Aguapanela – Photo

    Fruit infusions

    Colombians have a huge fondness for aromática, a fresh fruit infusion that has medicinal benefits as well as being a hot, tasty and comforting beverage. How to make an infusion? A typical aromatica might involve sliced strawberry, blackberry, passion fruit, kiwi, guava and pineapple, left to stand in near-boiling water until the water takes on the flavors of the fruit. Many aromatica fans, particularly in Bogota, opt for the drink when they are leaving evening Mass. It’s the perfect moment to prepare yourself to face the chilly air. (You may also enjoy: Colombia’s 10 most exotic fruits)

    Photo: Wikimedia

    Looking for the perfect moment to taste a traditional treat? Live this experience in Colombia. If you liked this article please feel free to share it on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ or any of your social networks.

    5/5 - (1 vote)
    Artículos recomendados

    Everything you need to know about Cartagena’s Hay Festival

    Cartagena prepares to host the tenth edition of Colombia´s most important literature festival. Here’s what you should know.
    Colombian religious museums, Museums, Tourism, Religion

    Six museums filled to the brim with Colombia’s religious treasures

    Colombia has a vivid religious history and houses some of the most beautiful religious art, artifacts, furniture and jewelry in...

    Five ways to celebrate Christmas in Colombia

    Christmas is coming and there is no better place to celebrate it than Colombia. Here are five ways to ensure...
    Colombian gastronomy, Colombian food, Colombian dishes, Food, Agriculture

    Gastronomy for development

    Laura Hernández, CEO of Funleo, told Country Brand Colombia about the importance of gastronomy to preserve the country’s heritage. 
    Cartagena, turismo por Colombia, colombian tourism

    The best places in Colombia to spend the holidays

    Christmas is the highlight of the year in Colombia and the country’s towns and cities go all out to impress...
    Colombia´s popular cocktails | Colombia Country Brand

    Mixology in Colombia: A guide to the best and most popular cocktails

    Mixology is so much more than gin cocktails or vodka cocktails. Besides having liquor, the experience of having cocktails has...

    Anyone for caving? Five caves you have to explore in Colombia

    Colombia is a country of natural marvels, from snow-capped mountains and plunging waterfalls to thick jungles and fearsome rivers.
    ArtBo, Art, Art Fair, Bogota

    artBO, Colombia’s most important art fair, is back

    Since its first edition in 2005, artBO has attracted thousands of people
    colombian trees

    Five trees that support Colombia’s stunning biodiversity

    Trees are Colombia’s most important plant. They provide us with oxygen, stabilize our soil, absorb our carbon and shelter and...
    Foreigners, Colombia, Tourism

    Four foreigners explain why they fell in love with Colombia

    The kindness of Colombians, the country’s inimitable landscapes and culture and the very happiness in the air, made these four...