No travel experience or romantic expedition is complete without trying the local cuisine. Learn which Colombian foods you should try with Medellin women.
Pairing hot chocolate with cheese may be unusual, but it’s surprisingly delicious. | Photo by Giancarlo Duarte on Unsplash
“The people who give you their food give you their heart.” – Cesar Chavez
Imagine strolling down the plaza in downtown Medellin in the late afternoon, the sun readying itself to set. Accompanied by a beautiful Colombian woman, you pause to a familiar sensation – the subtle rumble of your belly. Your eyes survey the bustling panorama of people walking and cars honking as they lock in with precision accuracy to the rows of stalls on your far left. As wave after wave of Colombian foods call your name, you look straight into the eyes of your lovely companion and let out a large gulp.
As if she read your mind, she grabs you by your hand and guides you towards an empanadas stand.
“Dos empanadas de pollo por favor,” she asks the lady. Her tone is sweet, but you sense the urgency in her voice. Your day trip around the City of Eternal Spring has been magical, and she is determined to keep it that way.
The taste is potent and the satisfaction is immediate as you collect your first bites. Comfort food is such an apt term. The tingling delight of every bite into the soft yet crisp shell is matched only by the reassurance of the savory chicken filling.
Satisfaction achieved. Turning to your gracious date, you nod in approval, as if to say, “I am forever in your debt.”
Food completes the experience of traveling to a different country. Have you ever eaten in, say, an authentic Italian restaurant and felt like you were instantly teleported to Florence?
But what is food if it can’t be interesting and exciting? While Colombian cuisine is filled with standard classics, it has its share of unique, interesting, and eccentric dishes as well. Colombian dishes aim to please the heart, as well as the stomach.
Here, we explore foods that can be the headline of your experiences and dates in Colombia. They can be simple — mundane snacks like arepas — or mind-blowing local creations. Either way, as long as you are in the company of a fine Colombian woman and there is food on the table, you will have a story to tell. These are Colombian foods you should try with Medellin women.
- Arepas
Netflix and Arepas? Why not? Colombians eat arepas any time and in any way. Consider it like how Europeans make their bread.
You cannot go to Colombia and not have an encounter with this corn-based delight. Should you and your date be out of food ideas for your nightly rerun of “Friends”, go outside to almost any place that sells food and get yourself a bag of arepas.
You can have it with chocolate, cheese, Nutella, or whatever you can pair it with in the fridge. The world is your imagination and the arepa is your canvas.
Just think of the fond memories you will have of your mayo-mustard peanut butter sea bass arepa.
- Bandeja Paisa
Few meals can boast the sheer magnitude of the famous Bandeja Paisa. Being the national dish of Colombia, it may be one of the more laborious Colombian food recipes to make since it has so many components. It is basically a gigantic platter of sausage, large chicharon, beans, hogao, cheesy arepas, fried plantains, rice, and egg.
If you look hard enough, you might even find a whole roast turkey underneath. We are unsure of how Colombian women are able to retain their slim figures with food like this as a staple, but we do know that their tummies are always happy.
Consider downing the whole dish a worthy challenge, and make sure you take pictures for your Instagram.
If, however, you have reservations about eating a dish that could feed a small family, your date probably won’t mind sharing with you.
- Hot Chocolate and Cheese
You can’t remember what happened last night, but the 6 empty bottles of Aguardiente Antioqueño on the floor indicate that it was a night well spent. You catch the intense smell of a freshly made cup of hot chocolate emanating from the kitchen. You hastily get up and follow the comforting aroma.
You glance at the chocolate-filled chalice, but to your immediate confusion, slices of cheese accompany the sweet mug.
Similar to Americans’ affection with Oreos and milk is how Colombians like the Chocolate-Cheese combination.
While unfamiliar, it’s delicious and could be something easily replicable via a short trip to your local Safeway.
- Hormigas Culonas
Fried ants. That’s pretty much what it is. Think of it as revenge for that nasty anthill in your backyard.
They are big-bottomed ants that are fried or roasted, then salted. Packed with protein, they are said to be an aphrodisiac.
They go pretty well with an ice cold beer too.
- Cuy
Some people like chicken. Others prefer beef. Then there’s the occasional deep-fried Guinea pig.
Cuy is a popular delicacy enjoyed by the people in the Andean regions of South America. It’s served whole and crispy. While we’re unsure about whether it’s wise to post it on Facebook along with your other Colombian food pictures, we’re fairly certain that eating this local delicacy will be an experience you will never forget.
It’s quite tasty. Just don’t think of the family hamster while eating it.
- Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruits are like overgrown kiwis and are mildly sweet fruits native to tropical countries. While they are delicious, they aren’t too sweet, which can have its share of problems.
Its mild sweetness isn’t overbearing, leading unsuspecting consumers to overeat. Whether that’s a good or bad thing will depend on the immediate availability of a toilet, as its seeds contain laxative oils. When in the company of Medellin girls, you may want to be judicious in your dragon fruit consumption.
Other than that, they are rich with vitamins and antioxidants, so enjoy!
Some of these dishes might not go down in Colombian food history as classics, but they certainly will be part of a memorable experience in Medellin. Colombian foods are not made to be high cuisine, rather, they are made to satisfy the stomach, the heart, and the soul.
