Gastronomy in Colombia

Famous Colombian dishes are bandeja paisa ("Paisa platter" is one of the national dishes and contains red beans, white rice, plantain, dirty rice chorizo, ground beef, chicharron, avocado, arepa and a fried egg); Sancocho (popular soup that mix vegetables and fish, normally contains maize, yuca, and often eaten with banana slices); and Cuchuco (thick soup cooked of wheat, potatoes, habas, peas, ribs, from Boyacá).

Some beverages that are very popular in the country are Aguapanela (prepared by melting panela in hot water and lime juice); Aguardiente (alcoholic drink comes from sugarcane); Champús (thick drink produced from pineapple, lulo, corn, and other ingredients); Canelazo (alcoholic version of aguapanela combined with aguardiente and cinnamon); Refajo (made by combining Colombiana, a soda similar to cream soda, with rum or beer); Salpicón (made from cubed fruit and soda) and Lulada (prepared from lulo and has the grain and substance of a smoothie and originated from Cali). Other drinks include Biche, Chirrinche, Guandiolo, Masato, Pony Malta, Sabajón and Salpicón.

Some varieties of fruit almost unidentified outside the tropics are enjoyed in the country, such as the anón, arasá, borojó, carambolo, chirimoya, cocota, curuba, guama, guanábana, guayabamanzana, lulo, mamey, mamoncillo, níspero, pitahaya, pomarrosa, sweet granadilla, tree tomato, uchuva and zapote. Banana leaves are very usual in Colombian cuisine on foods such as quesillos (cheese rolled in banana leaves) and tamales.