Santander Cuisine: Ants, Dried Beef & Andean Stews
Santander has Colombia's most distinctive regional cuisine — from the pre-Columbian roasted ants to the sun-dried beef and the enormous mute stew; Bucaramanga's food culture is proud, idiosyncratic, and deeply tied to the land
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Pepitoria: Stew of goat offal
Pepitoria - a stew of goat organs (liver, lung, heart) cooked with rice in the animal's blood - is Santander's most confrontational traditional dish; the preparation is a tradition from the goat breeding valleys in Chicamocha and dates back to colonial times
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Bocadillo Veleño
Bocadillo veleño — guava paste from the Vélez region of Santander — is Colombia's most important confectionery; the dense, sweet block of guava wrapped in dried plantain is exported throughout Colombia and Latin America; Vélez is the guava capital of the world
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Chicharrón Santandereano
Santander chicharrón - pork belly and skin fried to an extraordinary crispiness - served with mute, carne oreada, or as an independent snack; the technique of the double-fried Santander chicharrón is considered Colombia's finest version
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Masato de Maíz
Masato — a fermented corn drink, lightly carbonated and slightly alcoholic — is Santander's traditional drink; served cold at markets and at family meals, the masato's sour corn taste is an acquired taste deeply embedded in Santander's food memory
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Sunday market food stand
The Sunday market in Bucaramanga's peripheral neighborhoods – with food stalls selling mute, pepitoria and carne oreada – is the social event of the week; families gather at long communal tables in the market's covered dining areas
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Arepa de Maíz Peelado
Santander's arepa — made from dried lye-treated corn (maíz pelado) — has a distinctive alkaline flavor and crumbly texture that differs from the masa arenas of the coast; pelado arepa grilled over charcoal is the essential Santander brother substitute