This country´s location and varied environments - from coastal to mountain to rainforest to rolling plains - as well as ethnic heritage including pre-columbian, Spanish, and African, give the country's cuisine a flavourful depth indeed. That includes ingredients that might be unfamiliar to visitors, such as the fruits arazá, dragon fruit, lulo (aka naranjilla), passionfruit, and soursop, as well as fish like the freshwater bocachico and gamitama (related to the piranha).

Some of the country's better known dishes, meanwhile, include the bandeja paisa from the northern state of Antioquía and its capital Medellín (rice and beans with roast beef, chorizo sausage, chicharrón pork rinds, a fried egg, and an corn flatbread arepa), arroz de lisa (rice and mullet), and tamales (wedges of steamed cornmeal, often stuffed with meat or sausage).

Read more in our post 5 Reasons Why Colombia Is One of the World's Most Appealing Destinations.

Pierrick Lemaret