Food Coffee Triangle

In the coffee triangle, people like to take advantage of all the fresh, local products, such as the Hass avocado, chorizo from Santa Rosa de Cabal, fresh trout and of course…coffee. This makes for some surprising combinations. Villages like Salento and Filandia have lots of good restaurants, where you can try traditional local food. In this article, you can learn more about the specialties of this region and and our insiders tips for the most delicious food.

Food Coffee Triangle

TRADITIONAL FOOD

Fiambre Quindiano
A dish with chicken, cassava and potatoes that is simmered in banana leaves and served with rice, avocado and arepa. The fiambre comes as a package on your plate and when you unfold the banana leaves, you get to see the “surprise.”

As in Medellín and surrounding areas, nutritious meals are popular in the coffee triangle, such as:

 

  • Bandeja Paisa: lots of meat and sausage with beans, rice, avocado, banana, arepa and a fried egg
  • Well-filled soups like Sancocho
  • Tamales:stuffed packets of meat, chicken and vegetables steamed in banana leaves until tender.

DRINKS

It can cool off considerably in the evening in the coffee triangle. A hot drink, such as an aromático (herbal tea) would be nice then. If you order chocolate caliente (hot chocolate) or agua panela (hot water with cane sugar), the standard question is: with or without cheese? Takes some getting used to, but just do it, nice dip in your drink with a piece of cheese -:)

Vino caliente
At night by the fireplace, or sitting in a lovely warm thermal pool in the mountains, a glass of warm red wine tastes extra delicious. With a sugar rim, cloves and a cinnamon stick, it is reminiscent of Glühwein.

Canelazo
A drink par excellence to warm you up! Canelazo is made with cane sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and Aguardiente; the famous Colombian anise-flavored alcoholic drink with about 30% alcohol.

TRUCHA

This tender freshwater fish is similar in taste and color to salmon trout as we know it in Europe. Highly recommended if you have a big appetite: stewed trucha baked with cheese and mushrooms.

SOLOMILLO CON SALSA DE CAFÉ

Admitted; the thick brown sauce does not look very appealing, but coffee sauce goes well with a nice piece of meat. Also tasty: Chimichurri; an olive oil and vinegar-based sauce with garlic, parsley and pepper.

SANTARROSANOS CHORIZOS

If you tell a Colombian that you are going to Santa Rosa de Cabal, he will immediately mention the Santarrosano Chorizo! This sausage is made with the best meats and is on the menu in every restaurant in Santa Rosa de Cabal. 

AREPA DE CHÓCOLO

A thick arepa made from sweet corn. You eat the arepa with butter, salt and cheese. A nutritious arepa, it’s easy to eat as a quick meal when you’re on the road in the coffee triangle.

PATACONES

Cookies made of green banana that you can snack on with guacamole, cheese or hogao (hot tomato sauce with onion), among other things. Looking for a tasty vegetarian meal? Then ask the chef to fill a large patacon with vegetables and bake it off with cheese in the oven.

DESSERTS

Cakes, crepes and ice cream taste even better with a filling or topping of arequipe, the Colombian version of caramel. Also delicious: Quesos con brevas y arequipe; cheese and figs with arequipe.

#ColombiaMyWay tips

#Tip 1: Try the delicious fresh fruit juices
Everywhere in the coffee triangle you can try fresh fruit juices. The fruit in Colombia is very tasty when mixed with milk or water. It makes a wonderfully refreshing drink. If you don’t like sweet drinks, ask to leave the sugar out, as it is usually added. One of the tastiest juices we had in the coffee triangle was the guanábana (soursop) smoothie. Other tasty juices are made with maracuyá (passion fruit), mora (blackberries) and papaya.

#Tip 2: Drink a mate de coca
High in the mountains of the Los Nevados National Park, we had a Mate de coca, tea made from dried coca leaves. According to the locals, the tea energizes and helps prevent altitude sickness. The tea has nothing to do with cocaine: the unprocessed, dried coca leaves are natural products. The taste of Mate de coca is somewhat bitter, and for extra flavor you can add a bag of aromática (tea).

#Tip 3: Check out the best restaurants in the coffee region.
General info on Colombia’s coffee region, can be found in our coffee triangle travel guide. Check here the best food tours in Colombia.