Colombian Food

joetexan says on Jan 6, 2008, 11:32:

Colombian food tends to be pretty bland. Every Colombian I know thinks hallipeno pepers are terribly hot, and in Texas they're eaten like candy. I think just about every Colombian has a sweet tooth.

MitchAlvarez says on Jan 6, 2008, 11:49:

yea i think your right about the no hot food. as long as my plate has arrozito, arepita, y aguacate ill take anything.

rhydewithdis says on Jan 6, 2008, 11:51:

there are a bunch of thai restaurants in bogota and mde, but none of them could be described as being even remotely close to serving up authentic cuisine.

They said I couldn't play football I was too small / They say I couldn't play basketball I wasn't tall / They say I couldn't play baseball at all / And now everyday of my life I ball.

kat1 (Moderator) says on Jan 6, 2008, 13:42:

I love coconut rice, mojarra frita, patacon, carne a la llanera con picante uhmm

BTW I love Thai food, i went to a proper Thai restaurant in Manchester and I loved it.

engage brain before opening mouth

Dan says on Jan 6, 2008, 13:49:

I like the bandeja paisa also, but I also like the Colombian Tamales, Mondongo, and I haven't seen too much I don't like... but I have to say I absolutely HATE, are Arepas

God Bless America!

travelingirl says on Jan 6, 2008, 14:00:

I still love ajiaco especially if I'm feeling under the weather. I hate the cooked plantain. Blech.

Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon...

jorgegdiaz says on Jan 6, 2008, 14:23:

Try a Colombian morcilla ;)

Man with hole in pocket feel cocky all day.

kat1 (Moderator) says on Jan 6, 2008, 14:31:

I don't mind morcillas, specially with papa criolla, no good for the waist though..:))

engage brain before opening mouth

Strobers says on Jan 6, 2008, 15:14:

I love ajiaco. My SIL could open her own restaurant. She makes the best soups on the planet, not just ajiaco, but this delicious sopa de pescado tambien.

"Life is too serious to be taken seriously"

john_stark says on Jan 6, 2008, 15:25:

"I love coconut rice..."

My wife makes a mean coconut rice. The only problem is she ends up buying about 10 coconuts and tossing more than half of them because they aren't fresh enough for her. She checks them thoroughly in the store but apparently you can't be 100% sure until you open some of them.

Strobers says on Jan 6, 2008, 15:34:

Speaking of coconut, do you or does anybody else, know the recipe to make coconut Popsicles? I had one from a street vender that were apparently home made and they were delicious. They didn't have all the extra crappy stuff that the coconut Popsicles that you buy in a regular store have.

"Life is too serious to be taken seriously"

getting better says on Jan 6, 2008, 16:48:

I am organisng specialist tours for foreigners in Colombia. They are pretty happy with the food, indeed they are surprised how good it is. It is really not a big issue. Nor is the security, our vistors feel pretty safe. What is right now the bigest problem is that some road journeys have lengthened due to roadworks and landfalls and there doesn't seem to be any up to date website realtime in Colombia to warn you of this, and that some hotels dont seem very helpful - its easy enough in main cities but in some towns they are very unprofessional.

LilaM says on Jan 6, 2008, 20:18:

You forgot about empanadas mmmmmm, and arepas con hogao delicioussssss

"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer." Ed. Cunningham

LilaM says on Jan 6, 2008, 20:22:

jajajajjaja tamales are nice too, and what about empanaditas de pipián btw

"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer." Ed. Cunningham

LilaM says on Jan 6, 2008, 20:24:

but peruvian food is looooooovely too, nothing to do with this topic but causa peruana and ceviche de pollo omg delicious

"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer." Ed. Cunningham

LilaM says on Jan 6, 2008, 20:30:

jaaaaaaaa I know I hate them today, i have to wait 'til next christmas to eat one again ajajaj

"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer." Ed. Cunningham

eywed says on Jan 6, 2008, 21:22:

I like a big pot of san cocho (think I spelled it right) made over a open fire after a night of drinking when it's cold out.

Ay Hombe!!!!!

travelingirl says on Jan 6, 2008, 22:12:

can't believe I forgot the empanada, yum!

Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon...

Neonovo says on Jan 6, 2008, 22:43:

Take your pick....this is the menu at "Jediondo's" on the food court in the Santa Fe Mall. I myself went for the Guiso de Cola....

Neonovo

LilaM says on Jan 7, 2008, 09:58:

When the waiter ask if you want to try "caldo de ministro" or "sopa de criadillas" never say yes, jajajaj Just an advice

"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer." Ed. Cunningham

Desi1 (Moderator) says on Jan 7, 2008, 10:11:

LilaM you seem to know about good Colombian food.
Sancocho de gallina valluno, cooked on a wood-burning stove, sobrebarriga al horno, tamales vallunos with NO RICE , empanadas vallunas or de pipián con salsa de maní, champus caleño, lulada, salpicon and fresh fruit smoothies, aborrajadas, sancocho de pescado con coco, esponjado de curuba,...
Colombian food does not need the overpowering spicy taste, the fresh meats, veggies and fruits combined in perfect balance bringing out the natural, tropical, recently harvested flavours of good quality foodstuffs need no masking curries or burning hot peppers to please the palate.

I like Thai food too, has been quite popular around here. I don't know how authentic it is, but there's an excellent Thai food store where the local restaurants get their ingredients nearby and it seems to well-stocked and the Thai girls that work there give free tips and sell small cookbooks of Thai food.

Desi1 (Moderator) says on Jan 7, 2008, 10:24:

That's how you get your meats, chori. The ones they sell in galeria Alameda in Cali come from animals butchered the very same morning. The sides of beef are hung from hooks and the meat is cut and sold the same day, before noon.

Tinto (Moderator) says on Jan 7, 2008, 11:00:

It's like my grandmother, Nana Rosannadanna, used to say "it's always something." I've seen large, open air butchering facilities in Zipaquira (two blocks from the central plaza) much like Chorizo describes. Carcasses and guts thrown into open trucks (no refrigeration) and flies, rats, dogs and filthy water are everywhere. Also, there's a lot of unwrapped, unrefrigerated hanging meat that flies shit on and even when it's in a refrigerated display case it's often uncovered (maybe the flies don't like the cold but unless it sells quickly I bet it dries out or absorbs flavors from other items).

Moving 4000 km north, I don't question so much the general cleanliness of the butchering facilities, but it's clear that some companies run the production lines too fast and sometimes fail to separate the clean meat from the filthy meat (intestines) when they're making ground beef and "variety" meats.

The blue Dodge truck has an interesting cargo.

MitchAlvarez says on Jan 7, 2008, 11:21:

yummy lol

aztec says on Jan 7, 2008, 11:32:

chorizo, or who is buried in Grant's tomb?

MitchAlvarez says on Jan 7, 2008, 12:47:

everytime chorizo leaves a comment i get hungry. i start thinking about a chorizito with a nice warm arepita or maybe a papita. man... im about to go to the local place here in queens. they have some nice chorizos and morcilla (yea i know, but it tastes good lol.

huskie says on Jan 7, 2008, 13:37:

Chorizo and Tinto: Have you ever been to a grocery store in Colombia? or you just shop in those " carnicerias"? No wonder..... you two seem to not like Colombia at all. Chorizo keeps reminding himself about Thailand and the love of his life ( and her cooking). What are you waiting for... please leave Colombia and go back to that miserable place, called Thailand, I use go there and hate it and its food, and as far as food is concerned, don't know where you eat, but for sure not at good restaurants.
Cheers

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds-"

Robert Jorge says on Jan 7, 2008, 14:52:

If you want fresh beef, go to the source - Villavicencio. The roadside, pavilion style restaurants serve beef that supposedly is so fresh, it wasn't refrigerated before the cooking. I don't know if that's true - but I can vouch for the quality and taste of the carne there.

My favorite soup was / is menudencias with mondongo a close second. I liked just stopping at roadside cafes, and getting a plate of picada(?). You get all kinds of stuff like morcilla, chicken, pork and beef chunks, etc. on one plate.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

LilaM says on Jan 7, 2008, 15:18:

Yes RJ that is true the meat from Villavicencio is the best, and the picadas mmmmm delicious

"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer." Ed. Cunningham

MitchAlvarez says on Jan 7, 2008, 17:47:

RJ your right.........i forgot about mondongo. how could i? you gotta hit up a restaurant called mondongos in Medellin. I think they have two now but the one in la setenta is the best.

LilaM says on Jan 7, 2008, 19:34:

omg chorizo a very loooooooooooonggggggggg post jeejje

"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer." Ed. Cunningham

MitchAlvarez says on Jan 7, 2008, 19:58:

huskie please tell me you got a comeback. cus chorizo just bitch slapped you.

msaucey says on Jan 7, 2008, 23:40:

Chorizo.. looks like a good healthy heart attack...

Not being mean... Just envious....

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

msaucey says on Jan 7, 2008, 23:54:

Well, unfortunately, I only get tamales on Christmas... But, that is a FULL meal... I'm not sure how your mother in law makes them, but the colombian tamale is quite a meal, it's enough for 2 servings, and I'm a healthy eater.... And the banana leafs leave them nice and juicy...

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

kat1 (Moderator) says on Jan 8, 2008, 01:54:

we can't be bother to have Christmas dinner in Colombia, we never had, we just buy tamales or make some chicken rice, the most important thing is we never run out of alcohol and good music, if we are hungry thanks God for the guy in the corner that sell arepas, pinchos and chorizos ;))))

To me Christmas dinner its a waste of time, unless someone cooked for you :)))))

engage brain before opening mouth

Dan says on Jan 8, 2008, 02:44:

There's a couple near here where I live that are good friends... the lady is Colombian and every once in a while, her parents come and visit from Bogota. She tries to bring some stuff from Colombia and almost always brings Tamales.

Come to think of it Kat... I don't remember anything about Christmas dinner when I was there for the holidays a couple years ago. But of course no body ever runs out of drinks... no matter what time of the year.

God Bless America!

kat1 (Moderator) says on Jan 8, 2008, 02:58:

I think nothing can beat Colombian Empanadas :)))

I hate the full English breakfast, I can't stand it specially as "breakfast" yuakkkkkkkk

engage brain before opening mouth

huskie says on Jan 8, 2008, 04:13:

Know what I cooked for Christmas Dinner? Roast Turkey with Cornbread/Cranberry stuffing, Waldorf Salad with Pineapple, Apples and Nuts, Sweet Potato Casserole with Orange and Marshmellows, Green Beans sauteed with bacon and onions, Apple Pie a la mode, and Pumpkin Pie. Your picture shows canned beans, which I hate, you English like your canned beans. The only food I like from the UK is crumpets!

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds-"

Dan says on Jan 8, 2008, 04:15:

I love epanadas... I had some at a Mexican place this past week.... It was nothing like the Colombian one's, I didn't like 'em.

God Bless America!

huskie says on Jan 8, 2008, 04:17:

Show me how to load pictures, and you shall see my travels, I am waiting to see your pictures in real places!
cheers

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds-"

huskie says on Jan 8, 2008, 04:30:

My breakfast is very healthy, Coffee (Juan Valdez or Starbucks) one piece of whole wheat toast with a little butter and Raspberry Marmelade, fruit juice (real fruit) a piece of fruit, and cereal; none of all that grease and canned beans! Yuck
Cheers

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds-"

LilaM says on Jan 8, 2008, 05:13:

Retiro lo dicho yo me como las empanadas solita ajajjaj y les cuento como me fue

"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer." Ed. Cunningham

MitchAlvarez says on Jan 8, 2008, 06:27:

lila is offering her empanada? cuidadito preciosa. :) j/k

Dan says on Jan 8, 2008, 06:29:

I haven't had a good empanada in a long time.... Wish I could go to Colombia right now.

God Bless America!

LilaM says on Jan 8, 2008, 07:06:

jajaja mitch why not, empanadas are just empanadas, of course just for friends jejeje

"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer." Ed. Cunningham

huskie says on Jan 8, 2008, 07:06:

"colombians do not like hot " by chorizo. WE ARE HOT!!!!
Cheers

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds-"

LilaM says on Jan 8, 2008, 07:07:

And if i said empanadas is only those pastry things filled with meat, potato, rice, and som aji, jejeje I´m dreaming with those this morning.

"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer." Ed. Cunningham

MitchAlvarez says on Jan 8, 2008, 07:09:

siga ofreciendo su empanada y vera.

LilaM says on Jan 8, 2008, 07:34:

ajjaja Mitch, hare de tacaña entonces no hay empanadas para nadie!!! ajajajj

"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer." Ed. Cunningham

MitchAlvarez says on Jan 8, 2008, 07:35:

como que a nadie vea pues. miamor por tu empanadita lo que sea muñeca lo que sea. pidelo y lo tendras jaja

rhydewithdis says on Jan 8, 2008, 08:03:

I live in NYC and eat a different ethnic food practically every single night. My rotation of Colombian food probably falls in maybe once a month. That being said, there is not much different as far as the chicken, rice and beans (staple of Colombian food) go when you compare it with the same dish from the Peruvian or Ecuadorian restaurants.

Again, I live in Queens -- and the restaurants here are about as authentic as you will find in NYC. You know this to be true because they couldn't care less about others frequenting them. They are there to cater to their own people who make up 90% of their clientèle.

They said I couldn't play football I was too small / They say I couldn't play basketball I wasn't tall / They say I couldn't play baseball at all / And now everyday of my life I ball.

joetexan says on Jan 8, 2008, 16:08:

I doubt that many gourmets would rate Colombian "cusine" near the top to the list of the world's best cooking. I doubt many gourmets would rate American cooking anywhere near the top of the list. French, Italian, Chinese, Spanish, Arab, all near the top. I love Mexican, but then I live in Texas. No one beats B-B-Q Texas style, no one. B-B-Q is an art form in Texas and B-B-Q competitions are a favorite activity in pueblos all over Texas. Not just the sauce, but the type of wood used (Hickory, Oak, mesquite, they all give the meat a different flavor), the timing of when it's perfect, everything.

MitchAlvarez says on Jan 8, 2008, 17:35:

arab? what? chinese?

pobre inocente. i dont care if french, italian, and spanish are top whatever........... dont try to play colombian food. be easy cowboy