Eat your Way through Latin America: Colombia

For Hispanic Heritage Month, the “Eat your Way through Latin America” series will feature the top five Latin American countries represented on campus at Elon over the course of the next five weeks. Although we recognize that we are not all of Hispanic heritage at the Edge Magazine, as anthropologists and avid food lovers, we wanted to respect the cultural backgrounds and experiences of our fellow students. 

As we were researching Colombian cuisine and food traditions, it became clear that Colombian food is difficult to pin down to a few staple dishes or ingredients because of the diverse regions spanning the entire country. Colombia has an inescapable cultural relationship with its land; this bond is most evident in its cuisine. From coasts that touch both the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean to Andes Mountains soaring through the country's capital to the Amazon Rainforest, the culinary culture of Colombia is a reflection of the many terrains covering the country. 

Even Colombia’s most nationally recognized dishes vary from region to region. Food in Jardín, a town in the Andes mountains outside of Medellín, often features grilled trucha, or river trout found in the region's mountain streams and waterfalls. Caragena, also found in the mountains, is known for grilled fish with ajillo garlic sauce, commonly bought fresh at a street market. Near the Pacific Ocean, it is common to find shrimp salads and rice with clams. Meanwhile, in the Amazon, casabe, a crispy flatbread made from cassava or yuca, is eaten with pirarucú, the world’s largest fresh-water fish. The northern coast features Caribbean-influenced flavors and fresh seafood.

Despite the vastness and diversity of Colombian food, most dishes are of Spanish and African influence due to 16th-century imperialism and the Atlantic Slave Trade. Alfonso de Ojeda, a Spanish conquistador, voyaged to Colombia in 1500, and by 1550, the Spanish had established an administration within the country. With them, they brought plantains and rice, which can still be seen in Colombian cuisine today.
Before Spanish imperialization, pre-Columbian indigenous tribes migrated from Panama and created agrarian societies centered around crops like corn, beans and quinoa. The many indigenous societies that extended across the country played a large role in the development of Colombian cuisine. 

Colombia regained independence from Spain in 1819. After, Colombia faced hundreds of years of social and political turmoil. This internal strife caused Colombia to be relatively closed off to foreign influence, allowing classic Colombian gastronomy to prevail. 
Most, if not all, of the traditional dishes of Colombia include a hefty portion of meat, rice, and a vegetable no matter the time of day. Bandeja paisa, or the “workman’s platter” is the unofficial national dish of Colombia. It often includes white rice, beans, ground beef, fried plantains, chorizo, avocado, corn, pork rinds, arepa and a fried egg. It originates from the Antioquia region in the mountains. The history of the dish traces back to farmers or campesinos, who needed to fuel their bodies with carbs and proteins before going to work in the fields.

Soups are a staple type of dish in Colombian culture. Sancocho is a common traditional dish. It is a water-based soup that contains vegetables, plantains, potatoes, corn, cilantro, yuca and various types of meat, depending on the region in which it is found. Aijaco, another traditional soup, is a hearty soup originating from the Cundinamarca and Boyacá regions in the mountains. It contains chicken, potatoes and herbs and is usually served with avocados, rice and corn. 

Arguably the most famous of Colombian foods, arepas are a staple carb in Colombian dishes. They are found everywhere and served with every meal. They are pita-like flat cakes typically made with corn flour but can vary by region. In paisa regions in central Colombia, they are made with basic corn flour, stuffed with cheese and grilled, while on the Caribbean coast, they are baked with anise seeds for an aromatic flavor. Even the country’s most widespread food varies drastically between regions. 

Colombia is a country in which national pride is incredibly strong, despite struggling with serious issues of socioeconomic inequality. Colombian cuisine is one of the only areas of the country’s culture in which little social stratification is found. Farm-to-table traditions and the relationship between terrain and cuisine run deep, allowing them to span across social lines and remain a unifying factor of the country.

Stay tuned for the next part of the “Eat Your Way through Latin America” series by following @theedgemag!