In Colombia, the food is simple, cheap, and delicious. Colombians eat a lot of rice, beans, soups, and corn-based foods. They have tons of fruit, including some that we've never heard of because they're unique to that part of the world.
El Plato del Dia
Typical Plate of the DayMost restaurants have a "Plate of the Day" for lunch and dinner that includes soup, a meat, beans, rice, a small salad, a fried plantain, an arepa, and a glass of juice. All for about $4 or less.
Chocolate and Cheese
Have a hunk of cheese with your hot chocolate.
Colombians love their chocolate and cheese. Together. We didn't believe it either until we saw it. They cut up the cheese and drop it into the hot chocolate. Sounds strange, but it is popular for breakfast or a snack.
Arepa
Arepa con QuesoArepas are everywhere in Colombia. They can be made of either yellow or white corn. They often have no filling but we preferred them with hot gooey cheese in the middle. They generally come with a meal, sort of like a dinner roll, but they are popular for breakfast as well. We discovered the arepa at the beginning of day one and it became one of our staples for the entire trip.
Fruit and Juices
Plantain soup and papaya juice.
Colombia grows a lot of delicious fruit and they are able to grow it all year round because of the favorable climate. They have some interesting fruits we had never heard of, like the lulo, a tart fruit that looks like an orange on the outside but is green on the inside. Juices are very popular and we had tasty blackberry, papaya, tomato, and strawberry juices. All very fresh and with no sugar added!
Coffee
Coffee PlantA lot of coffee is grown in Colombia and since we spent most of our time in Eje Cafetero, the coffee region, we certainly drank our share of it.
We toured a coffee plantation in Salento and learned about the different types of coffee and the coffee making process.
Typical Plate of the Day
Have a hunk of cheese with your hot chocolate.
Arepa con Queso
Plantain soup and papaya juice.
Coffee Plant
