Photography by Isa Zapata.
My family is from Medellín, a sprawling city nestled in the Andes Mountains. It’s nicknamed the City of Eternal Spring because of its position on the equator, making for 12 months of T-shirt-friendly days, along with a reliable five-minute daily downpour.
Medellín is a small slice of the greater mountain region, a Colombian department called Antioquia, where small towns dot the lush, wild landscape. The only way to move between these towns is to drive on la carretera, the winding, one-way, absolutely stunning network of mountain roads. If you live in Medellín, your weekend activities usually involve going to visit one of these towns for a cooler mountain breeze, quality time with family, and your favorite once-a-week treats, like the golden velvety stew that is sancocho, the lifeblood of my childhood.
Most of the food up here is going to be cooked en leña, or over firewood, which lends itself to fried food, plenty of starches, and lots of meat. I live in New York, but I go back to Colombia twice every year if I’m lucky and always find time to take a few winding road trips. The food throughout this sprawling region is a unique experience you won’t find anywhere else.
Here is a basic breakdown of the most delicious roadside foods you will find on a day trip from Medellín.
Caldas is a province in the southwest of the Paisa region in Colombia. What Caldas lacks in square mileage, it makes up for in history, architecture, and lush mountain landscapes. It’s historically known for its gold mining, coffee production, and—drumroll—starch-and-meat-heavy cuisine. What more could you ask for? Surrounded by colonial architecture in cliffside towns, you’ll find the bulk of my favorite savory dishes in this itinerary.
A beloved chain restaurant in Colombia, Cocorolló boasts some of the most famous empanadas and pasteles de pollo—sun-shaped shredded chicken pastries—that you can find. This specific Cocorollo in Caldas sits right on the shoulder of a highway south of Medellín. Walking in, you’re met with the smells of the juicy, tender bits of meat and garlic hitting the grill. The entire restaurant is decorated in varnished wood, a classic design in Colombian chain restaurants. On Sundays you will see a line of people out the door, restlessly awaiting their jumbo-sized empanadas and pasteles de pollo. The dough on these is slightly sweeter and softer than you’ll usually find, and crunchy enough that you want to keep biting in. You can order either vegetarian potato filling or shredded beef and potato in your empanadas. Whichever you choose, do not forget to top them with the ají, a beloved, mildly spicy condiment.
Caldas is known for its obleas with arequipe (caramel). No Colombian road trip is complete without these thin, crispy, caramel-smothered wafers, usually sold right on the side of the road. They’re an ideal snack to tide you over on the way to your next stop. They’re often also sold in town squares, where food vendors congregate. You will find them with additional toppings like jam or grated cheese, but in my opinion plain is the way to go.
Trucha is a pink trout, usually served with potatoes or flattened, fried plantains called patacones. Despite being far from the coast, you can find this rose-colored, salty fish at most restaurants in the mountains. If you’re making a trip through Caldas, I recommend a stop at Kachotis, a restaurant and farm sandwiched between the highway and a cliffside overlooking dense jungle. While you wait for your trucha, you can wander the premises and meet all the horses and roosters in the back. Trucha is a great alternative to the mostly pork and beef-centric dishes in this region. You can order it breaded or in ajillo—sautéed in garlic. The meat should be bright pink, soft, crisp on the outside, and decadently moist within. There will be some bones you need to eat around, so don’t dive in too fast. Use the plantains as a palate reprieve or stack the fish on top (don’t forget the ají). For all my garlic girls out there, this one's for you.
The town of Amagá is a go-to for nature lovers. There is ample opportunity for hiking and bird-watching here if you need to warm up for the feasting ahead. Probably the most famous meal you’ll find here is the bandeja paisa. Paisa is a Colombian term used to describe the identity and culture of the people who live in the Northwest region of Colombia and the Andes Mountains. The bandeja paisa is not a meal for the faint of heart. It consists of chorizo, steamed rice, blood sausage, ground beef, fried pork rind (chicharrón), sweet plantains, an arepa, avocado, and an egg cooked to your liking. It was originally considered peasant food, keeping people who worked in the fields energized and full. You can find this meal pretty much anywhere, and each restaurant will have its own variation. This one, a personal favorite, is from El Rancherito, a chain spread across the outskirts of Medellin that serves traditional Paisa food. This chain of restaurants is all open-air, featuring large wooden picnic tables for families, and encircled with hanging flower baskets.
Probably my all-time favorite Colombian meal, sancocho is a traditional put-it-on-the-fire-for-a-whole-day meat and starch stew. My uncle, a chef, often refers to the broth as liquid gold. Every time I go back to Colombia to see my family, we make this meal in my abuelo’s backyard, simmering the giant pot over a fire for a good seven hours of music, beer, and dancing. You can find this dish at any traditional Colombian restaurant chain, but my favorite—outside of my family’s home, at least—is also served at El Rancherito. Sancocho is prepared differently depending on where you are in Colombia, but my ideal version has potato, corn, yuca, plantain, beef, and chicken. You can add rice, sliced banana for a little sweetness, avocado, and ají if you want an extra kick.
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If you’re looking for a short and easy day trip from the city, the arepas you’ll find in El Retiro are worth the excursion. El Retiro is a small town southeast of Medellín, brimming with flowers growing on colorful balconies that overlook cobblestone streets. There’s a waterfall here that nature lovers trek to, and the town square is packed with coffee shops and restaurants.
Classic arepas in Colombia are made with masarepa, a special precooked corn flour. These arepas aren’t hard to come by, and they go with pretty much everything. Although arepas are prepared differently all over Latin America, in Colombia you usually eat the arepa as a base, slathering your toppings over them. However, at Estadero Ricas Arepas, they specialize in a stuffed arepa de chócolo, the thicker, fluffier cousin to the traditional arepa. “Chócolo” or “choclo” is the Quechua word for tender corn, which gets mixed in with the classic masarepa for a larger, lighter, and sweeter arepa. The bits of corn kernels make for a filling and delightfully textural breakfast snack. Estadero Ricas Arepas is extremely well known, and rightly so. Make sure to get there early if you go on a Saturday. Their arepas de choclo are made in gorgeous specialty wood-fired ovens. Once the arepas come out, they are doused in butter and stuffed to the brim with layers and layers of quesito (a salty, semi-soft white cheese). Don’t forget to get a side of fried pork belly, or chicharrón, and a big ‘ol mug of hot chocolate for a complete experience. The best part is that you can (and definitely should) buy a pack of six or 12 arepas to bring back down to the city.