Columbia has a bad reputation for violence, but Traveling to Columbia was one of the most fulfilling trips I’ve ever taken.
Columbian food is also one of the most fulfilling natural foods I’ve ever eaten.
4 essential things to know when traveling to Columbia
- Be prepared to fall in love with real food, as a result, know your allergies and also know for sure if you need to be having gluten-free foods.
- be prepared to fall in love with Columbian breakfast, Colombian Arepas, Venezuelan arepas, homemade arepas, vegetarian arepa recipes and so much more
- Have an open mind to Latin America, its culture and food, Colombian Arepas, Venezuelan arepas, homemade arepas, vegetarian arepa recipes and so much more
- Be open to learning new ideas and recipes for a simple weeknight meal when you return home
Foods we ate when we first arrived
when discussing fresh food, natural ingredients, simple ingredients, and delectable food in South America, we must consider Columbian food. When I first arrived at the airport I had my first Arepa, Airport food is usually expensive and less than great. But let me tell you, this cheese arepa wrapped in corn dough was nothing short of amazing.
Some other popular foods in the airport :
- Vegan Empanadas – Vegan empanadas have vegan cheese and refried beans.
- NONvegan Empanadas – nonvegan has meat fillings and cheese
- Coffee- I loved how they took time to brew every coffee, every sip of coffee was delightful. This leads me to how healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner were.
Breakfast in Columbia
We woke up every morning to fresh large plants sitting just outside our window.
- Day 1 We were greeted with lightly whipped cheesy eggs with fresh corn tortillas. This corn tortilla was freshly made with added Colombian spices a side of warm vegan butter and columbian freshly brewed coffee.
- Day 2 We had something that looked like an English muffin but was packed with the perfect filling of black beans, and cheese, and looked like it was fried in just a little bit of oil and topped with something that tasted like maple syrup. It was amazing.
- On day 3 we had what seemed to be a large bowl of yogurt and freshly picked fruits from their garden. Even though we loved the food served in this special hotel we explored the city of Medellin for lunch.
Restaurants we visited for lunch
RESTAURANT OLIVIA
appetizer -Cornmeal cakes, chicharron and arepas
Arepas con queso and carne asada .
LOS CHAMOS AREPA VENEZOLANOS
Appetizer plantain & guac
Ranchoito – they paired this dish with a tortilla-looking side which we were told was made from corn flour, warm water, and a small amount of regular butter.
Restaurants we visited for Dinner
CLANDESTINO
Simply Sweet potato, steak, and grilled veggies but the sauce used to combine the dish was beyond anything I’ve ever tasted, and fish tacos, tacos made from white corn flour.
SERE
We had traditional arepas for appetizers, but it was so small it could fit right in the palm of your hand.
Then we had salmon and potatoes
step-by-step instructions
ORIGINAL Recipe
AREPAS RECIPE
At the end of our trip, there was one food we knew we had to try
Arepas. we wanted to try authentic arepas recipes and asked for recipes along the way.
Here are recipes we got for Black bean arepas and Colombian arepas, cheese arepas.
This is delightful but made from only basic ingredients, simple ingredients that make it even more exciting
Simple Arepas
Ingredients
- I cup corn flour or cornmeal
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 cup of milk
- 1/2tsp salt/ little salt or more salt to adjust taste
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- Step 1 Place milk, butter, and oil all in the saucepan over medium heat.
- Step 2 Stir until the butter is completely melted.
- Step 3. Slowly add in corn flour, salt, and sugar and stir until it’s formed into a dough.
- Step 4 wet hands with water and a bit of oil
- Step 5 Slowly roll a small amount of dough in the palm of your hand
- Step 6 Place dough in a little oil, just enough oil to prevent arepas from burning and sticking to the pan. Try to use a non-stick pan
- Step 7 cook until golden brown. Remove from pan and place Arepas on the baking sheet
Arepas with cheese or black beans
- Step 1 Place milk, butter, and oil all in the saucepan over medium heat.
- Step 2 Stir until the butter is completely melted.
- Step 3. Slowly add in corn flour, salt, and sugar and stir until it’s formed into a dough.
- Step 4 wet hands with water and a bit of oil
- Step 5 Slowly roll a small amount of dough in the palm of your hand
- Step 6 Add favorite fillings, this could range from black beans, refried beans, cheese, any type of refired bean mix, For vegan Arepas or vegetarian arepas recipes, add dairy-free cheese.
- Step 7 Place dough in a little oil, just enough oil to prevent arepas from burning and sticking to the pan. Try to use a non-stick pan
- Step 8 cook until golden brown. Remove from pan and place Arepas on the parchment paper
Arepas can be adjusted to fit different dietary needs
- Corn flour can be replaced with white corn flour or yellow corn flour.
- The filling can range from common filling, cheese fillings, beans, and minced beef to just nutritional yeast and beans for vegans.
- Arepas are also authentic Venezuelan dishes but based on what I have tasted I do believe these taste a bit different.
- The best part is, that if you make too much, wait until arepas are cool enough then place in an airtight container. This could last 2-3 days.
Back to the initial question
Are arepas vegan? Arepas are naturally considered vegan if you are using a simple traditional recipe.BUT arepas can be transformed to fit any dietary needs.