10-Day Colombia
Itinerary

Ajiaco

Bogotá's defining soup — a thick, golden stew of three types of potato (creamy papa pastusa, waxy papa criolla and thickening papa sabanera), chicken and the herb guascas that gives it its uniquely earthy, hay-like fragrance; served with cream, capers and corn on the cob; a Bogotano's cure for altitude and cold alike.

Bandeja Paisa

Colombia's most formidable plate — a platter built to feed a coffee-region labourer: red kidney beans, white rice, chicharrón (fried pork rind), ground beef, chorizo, fried egg, sweet plantain, black pudding, avocado and an arepa; banned by no cardiologist who has tasted it; the Antioquia region's proudest export.

Arepas

Colombia's daily bread — a griddle-cooked patty of ground white or yellow corn masa, eaten plain, stuffed with cheese, egg or shredded beef; every region has its version: paper-thin in Bogotá, thick and cheesy in Antioquia, oversize in Tolima; consumed at every meal from breakfast to late night as both food and utensil.

Sancocho

Colombia's great communal stew — a generous broth of chicken, beef or fish slow-simmered with yuca, corn, plantain, potato and coriander until the broth turns a deep, full-bodied gold; every family has its recipe; cooked in the largest pot in the house for Sunday family gatherings and celebrations.

Ceviche de Camarón

Caribbean Colombia's bright, acid cure — fresh shrimp marinated in lime juice with red onion, tomato, coriander and ají amarillo; unlike Peruvian ceviche, the Colombian version often adds ketchup and a splash of coconut cream; served in a cup with fried plantain chips (patacones) at Cartagena's street stalls.