Top 10 best foods in Medellín, Colombia

Colombian take their meat seriously, and Spanish influence is probably to thank for that. The picada sauce is an obvious gift from Catalan and Valencian cuisine. Its main difference from the more globally recognizable sauces lies in the ability to combine picada with other spices and make a unique seasoning concoction. The fact that it's made of simple things like almonds, bread, and water make the sauce very flexible in terms of mixing. It's also worth mentioning that picada is usually added right before completing the cooking process.

Since picada goes with almost any meat, pick any of the popular restaurants, and you won't be wrong. El Social comes to mind as one of the good destinations.

It's rather difficult to place buñuelos. They can have different shapes and different forms. Only one thing is certain — buñuelos are yet another part of Spanish cultural heritage in Colombia, prepared traditionally and experimented on all the time to enhance the taste. They are often served with a syrup made with piloncillo. Typically, buñuelos are made as dough circles, thinly rolled, cut or shaped into individual pieces, then fried and finished off with a sweet topping. But sometimes they look like pies and are served in more substantial portions.

The restaurant named Buñuelos Supremo offers buñuelos of all shapes and sizes, especially good for a quick stop for coffee or tea.

Hailing from the Antioquia department and the Paisa region of the country, bandeja is a rather wild assortment of products that evolved from a simple desire to preserve food into an exotic dish in its own right. Variety is the word to use when talking about bandeja paisa. It combines pork, beans, rice, chicharrón, fried egg, plantain, and many more things should a cook desire so. The plate should be appropriately big, and the traditional way to serve the food is on a large round one, making the meal itself look grand. In fact, Colombian government even tried to male bandeja paisa a national dish and rename it to "bandeja montañera" in order to avoid regional restrictions. But people decided that it should stay as it is.

Still, you can always find bandeja paisa in Medellín. Check out El Rancherito, for example.

Some people forget that barbeque is not just the modern universal way of grilling meat in your backyard. Every country has its own way of preparing meat over live fire and smoke to cook it and enrich the flavour with its own natural elements. In Colombia, "parrillada" is the name for the mixed grill, and Medellín has a lot to offer in that department. Almost every restaurant has its own twist when it comes to grilling meat and serving it with an assortment of vegetables and other secondary dishes. This opens up a lot of possibilities for experimenting.

We recommend starting with Bariloche Parrilla Argentina to try grilled Colombian meat.

While we're on the topic of regional differences between seemingly Universal foods, burgers get a reputation for being the most generic globalist dish ever. However, it is a fact that different countries have different burgers even in chain restaurants and worldwide fast-food chains. Indeed, smaller local restaurants in Medellín retain some of that personal touch that the original burgers had long ago. Spices, meat, preparation techniques — everything differs and everything makes Colombian burgers something worth trying.

La Gustela is a decent choice for trying Colombian burgers without feeling like you're in McDonald's.

If you'd like to stray away from things like burgers and barbeque, there's always the option to have some delicious pies. Not just any pies, but empanadas. The word itself means "enbreaded", or "wrapped in bread" and describes the dish perfectly. Empanadas are basically rolls of dough over a filling consisting of meat, cheese, tomatoes, corn, etc. As always, the food originates from Southern Europe and harkens back to the times of peasant utilitarianism.

Empanadas are particularly easy to find in places that boast them in the name and design. FritoDely is one of them.

One more thing that is there to know about Columbia's take on regular dishes is that it has a lot of soups. No, really, there are variations not even known outside the countries. Of course, there are also more popular, yet still exotic, bandeja paisa, mondongo soup, ajiaco soup, sancocho soup, and many more. Mondongo, for example, is made from the stomach of a cow or pig, slow-cooked with vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, carrots, cabbage, celery, tomatoes, etc. It's as peculiar as haggis in Scotland.

Mondongo's El Poblado would be a natural choice for this kind of soup.

Of course, we couldn't ignore tacos if we're in South America. They are a gift to the rest of the world, and Colombia shares some special kinds of tacos that are not nearly as well-known as their regular mass-produced commercial versions. Tacos Sudados, or "sweaty tacos", are made similarly to the regular tacos — corn or wheat tortilla topped with a filling is folded and cooked to be edible by hand. The trick is that Tacos Sudados are soaked in delicious bouillon vapours and feel wet because of that.

Once again, the name speaks for itself. Try Emiliano La Taquería for some of those nice sweaty tacos.

Most of the things listed above are pretty heavy on the stomach. A great light alternative would be a salad. Luckily, Medellín is not slacking in that department as well. Its food scene is filled to the brim with a variety of salads, both standard and unique to the region. A common recipe is chopped tomatoes, ham, dressing, cilantro, sesame seeds, and chicken, but most people, and most restaurants, like to mix things up. A very particular variation is the local salmon salad which usually goes with a healthy dose of coconut rice. Another important thing to remember is that salads go well with bread, and Colombian restaurants have some of the best bread on the continent.

Ammazza would be a good choice for a salmon salad, especially if you'd like to have some barbeque first.

Since we've had a lot of food to eat from the paragraphs above, it's only natural to finish them off with some of the juices offered in Medellín restaurants. Aside from regular apple and orange juices, there are exotic options like lulo, a greenish fruit made into a juice rich with vitamin C. Or there is Guanábana, or "soursoup", a large fruit made into a creamy milkshake, ice cream or juice. However, the most popular and safe juice for experimenting is the local coconut juice. Not too many people from outside the continent know how it is made properly.

As you can see, Medellín is not only rich with both history and innovation, but also very diverse in terms of food. Take a chance and enjoy the exploration of its cuisine.