Exotic Foods Abound in Colombia

Although “exotic” foods abound in Colombia, the most succulent, flavorful offerings are its locally-made soups. One of the many pleasures of living and teaching English as a foreign language abroad is the opportunity to sample and savor a unique plethora of foods. From chilly Bogotá, Colombia’s mountain-located capitol city, through aromatic seafood soups from the Pacific coast to the steaming goodness of Cali, Salsa music capitol of Colombia, here are some of the country’s best soups.

Here Are Six Succulent Soups from Colombia

” Sancocho de Gallina

The national dish of Colombia, this hearty soup is made with a whole stewed chicken or rooster including the feet. Added in are yucca, yellow plantain, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and seasonings. It’s served with a bed of steaming white rice and fresh slices of locally-grown avocado.

” Mondongo

A truly hearty meal in which cubes of tripe are cooked until tender, then added into a stew of vegetables like yucca, yellow plantain, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, peas and seasonings. It’s also often served with a bed of steaming white rice. A cold, locally-brewed beer goes well with this too.

” Ajiaco

As creamy a soup as they get, this specialty of Bogotá is made with tender chicken breast, two varieties of potatoes; small yellow potatoes and white potatoes, yucca and lots of fresh whole milk to give it its characteristic creamy texture and light color. It’s served with Guasca (a green, leafy vegetable) and Alcaparras (capers) and is a taste sensation you’ll likely never forget. » Read more: Travel in Colombia – Six Succulent Soups of the South in Colombia

Oh how Colombians love their music. The type of music coming from the smoothie vendor boom-boxes always seemed to set the distinctive tone of that town. They always played the music that was popular in that particular area. Whether it was “Salsa”, “Costeño”, or whatever type, it was always pure Colombian music.

As we were waiting for our smoothies, my eyes began to wander. I started to take in the sights and sounds of that little village in the mountains. I saw two soldiers who looked about seventeen years old standing across the street in front of a small cafe. They were holding machine guns, and giving me the eye. These were Colombian Government soldiers who were stationed in little towns like this to keep them out of the control of Leftist Guerillas who live in the jungles that surround them.

Some of those remote Colombian towns have an aura of unrest, and that one was definitely one of them. I dared not pull out any cameras at that moment. The last time I decided to videotape in a town like that, I was immediately approached by two soldiers and promptly escorted away. I thought I would never be seen again. Lucky for me, my wife’s brother-in-law was with us at that time. He happened to be a Colonel in the Colombian Military, so he interceded on my behalf. He explained to them that I was just some “crazy Gringo” who was in Colombia to visit his wife’s relatives, and to surf the waves that Colombia had to offer. They released me to the good Colonel, and I promptly put my cameras away. Apparently, Guerillas have been known to come into town and videotape the soldiers and the police. Then they hand the footage over to hired assassins who slip into town soon afterwards and kill them. I can understand the soldier’s apprehension with cameras. After that incident, my M.O. on the trip was to stay low-key, and not draw attention to myself.

My wife and I were getting some evil stares from several local folks that were wandering around the streets. I wanted so badly to pull my cameras out and pass the time documenting everything we were experiencing, but I could not risk it. Soldiers are not the only ones I needed to worry about. Being kidnapped by Guerillas was always in the back of my mind. Although I was able to get a lot of great footage and photos along the way (when it was permissible), my memory was my camera most of the time. » Read more: Deep Inside Colombia- Crossing The Andes with a Surfboard