A Perfect Gastronomic Destination

One of the biggest pleasures in life is enjoying good food. And one of the things that we do to connect with different cultures is trying their traditional dishes. Food is a big part of our life!

If you’re planning to savor Latin America’s culture, we are ready to add more flavor to your experience and give you a piece of information for you to visit Colombia and get a taste of some helpful Spanish lessons during your journey.

Colombia’s national cuisine is diverse as its tropical weather, landscapes, and cultural expressions. Aside from the fact that the land is very fertile, and it grows practically everything, you will find the unlimited imagination of expert cooks who add passion and local flavors to create amazing tropical recipes that will blow your mind.

Colombian dishes and ingredients vary widely by region. Some of the most common ingredients are cereals, like rice and corn. Tubers: Such as potato and cassava, assorted legumes. Different types of beef, chicken, pork, goat, fish and special seafood.

A very popular Colombian dish is the “bandeja paisa” from department of “Antioquia” region. The red beans, harvested in the region, have a protagonist place on this meal. Actually, Colombia is the largest producer of beans throughout the Andean region, as well the country with the highest consumption of beans on the daily diet.

The delicious “Bandeja Paisa” is usually served with  rice, ground beef, chorizo sausage, fried plantain, fried egg, the famous “arepa” (corn bread), and “chicharrón” (Pork crackling) and avocado.

Medellín is the second-largest city in Colombia and the capital of the department of “Antioquia”. The city has been called “a perfect gastronomic destination”. If you take a Spanish course at Centro Catalina in Medellín, you will be pleased to be able to enjoy a vibrant local and international cuisine.

Among the best restaurants you can visit in Medellín we recommend: “Ocio”, “Carmen”, “Mondongos”, “El Herbario”, “Hatoviejo”, “El Cielo”, “In Situ”, “Café Zorba” and “Bonuar”. These dishes will give you a hint:

• Pork in orange balsamic sauce served with locally grown potatoes.
• Plantain-crusted fish of the day served over coconut rice risotto with a baby banana and rum puree.
• The typical “bandeja paisa”.
• Delicious salads, such as “Smoked salmon salad with fresh herbs from the backyard garden and caramelized lychee”
• Molecular gastronomy dishes like “an Amazon-inspired tree of life made from pan de yucca (cassava bread) and gold-dusted chocolate truffles filled with piña colada”

If someone would ask you: “Where’s the hottest culinary scene in Latin America right now?” It would be right to answer: “The Colombian city of Medellín”.

Another true fact is that speaking Spanish could turn your trip into something even more special. And for that we recommend Centro Catalina Spanish School. Our team is young, dynamic, and passionate for helping you learn Spanish through effective lessons while you connect with the culture and the people.  The school is located in the strategic neighborhood of El Poblado, a 5 minute-walk to Parque Lleras, and Poblado Park.