TOP COLOMBIA TIPS
5 FOODS TO EAT WHEN TRAVELING TO MEDELLÍN, COLOMBIA:
Medellín, Colombia is
certainly a dangerous city, if you are on a diet;
it has been named in recent years as an innovative
city of the planet, but when it comes to food it should be named one of the
best destinations for gastronomic
visitors from all around the world, except for vegetarians, even though there
are vegetarian options.
Be prepared to eat big
portions of food and to know some dishes you maybe will think twice about them,
but that are very good.
The following are some
Top Colombia Tips for what to eat
when you are visiting Medellín, the city
of the eternal spring.
You may have seen or
known about this Colombian capital of the department of Antioquia, the second
most important city of the country, and also with an infamous past.
But those criminal and
violent episodes of Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel have faded away due
to the work of the Colombian authorities who won the war to this capo who
wanted to overrule the government.
And now you can come safely
to this beautiful and splendid city to eat as wonderful as you can imagine, in
the same sceneries you have seen on Narcos in Netflix.
So come with me and
know more about the 5 foods you have to
eat at Medellín. Colombia when you visit it.
1.
BANDEJA PAISA (PAISA PLATTER):
The Bandeja Paisa (paisa is the way
people from this region of Colombia are known) is a full reloaded combo of paisa food served in a big tray. It
is a complete meal, and when I say complete, it means that you are going to
take your time to have a taste of the multiple ingredients it has.
So be prepared to eat a lot, this plate is
an essential part of the gastronomic experience of your visit to Medellín.
The bandeja paisa has the following ingredients:
Rice
Red beans
Cooked and grinded meat
Morcilla (Blood sausage)
Chorizo (It’s a kind of sausage)
Chicharrón (Fried pork skin)
Platano (Plantain)
Arepa (corn flour pattie)
Hogao (Is a cooked and
fried stew made of onion, tomatoes and each chefs secret)
Sunny side up egg
Avocado
As you can see you are
going to be seated for a considerable amount of time, but I can assure it is
good food for the soul and for a siesta.
It’s better to have
the bandeja paisa for lunch so you
will have time to relax and some activity afterwards to assimilate it. At some
restaurants you can ask for half or
minipaisa if you are not a big stomach.
2. MONDONGO:
The mondongo is one of
the soups that identifies the paisa food and cultural values. It’s ingredients
are pork tripe, pork meat, sausage, potatoes, carrots, peas and lots of love.
The tripe has to be
cooked for a long time so it gives the characteristic flavor to the broth.
Have a mondongo and
you will love the flavor of this soup that is a complete dinner.
It goes with a side of
rice and avocado.
3. CHICHARRÓN:
The chicharrón is
already mentioned in the bandeja paisa, but in Medellín you can have this fried
pork skin as an appetizer or as a main dish.
The paisas are the
best doing chicharrones. Some are fried others are baked and toasted in
traditional ovens, some are fried and baked and there are the ones that don’t tell
anybody how they do it.
If there were a world
competition of the best chicharrón in the planet, the ones offered at Medellín
would surely qualify in the top spots.
Be tempted, by the
chicharrón, at restaurants of typical and gourmet food where this succulent plate
is offered: Don’t leave Medellín without having eaten one of this glorious cuts
of the pork.
There are very good
chicharrón offered at restaurants near to the airport, if you don’t make it at
the city. But please don’t go without
having a taste of it.
4. BUÑUELO:
If you are a
vegetarian and are still reading this blog you are a hero.
And for a hero like
you there is the buñuelo.
Is a rounded formed
mass of corn starch mixed with salted semihard grounded cheese fried in hot oil
and browned to crispy perfection.
You will see buñuelos
in your trip to Medellín and the aroma of them will make you go for one, or two
or as many as you want.
It is a totally
recommended food for your stay at the city of eternal spring. Taste one and you will go for the other one.
Try to eat them very hot with great care, but let me tell you, it is worth it.
5. TAMAL:
Tamales are a food of
the aboriginal tribes that lived in America. There are tamales all the way down
from southwest United States to the northern part of Argentina.
The tamales main
ingredient is corn flour. The tamal paisa is stuffed with chicken, pork and in
some recipes they also add beef, it also comes with chickpeas and carrot. The
tamales are wrapped into natural leafs of plantain and tied up. Then they are
cooked for hours in boiling water.
It is served on a
plate where the gastronomic surprise is opened while it still on the leaves.
Please don’t eat the leaves, only the food inside. It might be funny to tell
it, but there are some foreigners who are not told and may eat the leaves that don’t
have a good flavor.
The tamal inside is as
good as slow cooked food can get, the flavors are very typical for us Colombians,
and we love tamales.
BONUS:
At Medellín the queen
is the arepa. It is a corn flour patty made in the grill.
The original arepa
paisa is made of white corn.
But there are many
varieties for the arepas, and in Medellín is the place to eat arepas of all
kinds.
So you will change
your white bread for an arepa while you are at the city, and for sure you will
miss them when you go away.
Enjoy Medellín and the
rest of Colombia, I can assure you my country is a paradise.
You can check more of
Colombia in https://www.gpsmycity.com/gps-tour-guides/cartagena-5045.html
And the GPS audiotours
of Bogotá and Cartagena @ https://voicemap.me/authors/nestor-melendez
Remember that traveling makes you a better person.
Journalist:
Néstor Meléndez Soler
Comments
Post a Comment