Colombia

Colombia’s food is built around andean-Caribbean cooking of arepas, hearty highland soups, coconut coastal rice and abundant fried snacks with tropical fruit drinks. Look for Bandeja paisa (platter of beans, rice, chicharrón, ground beef, chorizo, fried egg, avocado, arepa), Ajiaco (bogotá chicken soup of three potatoes, corn and guascas, with capers, cream) and Arepa (griddled corn cakes eaten daily with cheese, butter or egg). Descends from the fiambre carried by Antioquian muleteers; Medellin restaurants standardised the loaded platter in the mid-20th century. This atlas has 53 Colombia dishes catalogued below, from everyday cooking to food kept for festivals and special occasions.