What to eat in Santa Marta: typical food that you can not stop trying

Traveling and not trying the typical food of the place is like not traveling? or rather, travel halfway. The grace of knowing a new city is to live the complete experience and that includes of course the food ; Savor those dishes that are unique to each region. To be able to say that, not only did you see, smell, hear that new destiny, but you also proved it is without doubt a great pleasure and a great anecdote to tell when you come back and spend the years with everyone.

So, if you go through this little paradise that's what you want to do, let me tell you what to eat in Santa Marta , what is the typical food you have to taste, what are the flavors you have to take to the next destination.

But before telling you what to eat in Santa Marta , you should know that the Samarian gastronomy is influenced by several factors, that have enriched it and have created a great variety of dishes as you will see later.

One is its geographical position on the Caribbean Coast and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta on one side, another is the mixture of different cultural heritages between different indigenous peoples and inhabitants of the area, and another is the influence of the Spanish culture that brought Spanish settlers and African slaves to the area.

Typical food to eat in Santa Marta

1. Cayeye

If you want to know what to eat in Santa Marta ; definitely the first one has to be His Majesty El Cayeye ; or also called mote de guineo , is a dish made from green banana ; that is, unripened banana, of origin; possibly, African. You will find it everywhere and at all times. It is usually eaten at breakfast, but there are no limits, nor impediments to eating it at dinner and lunch. If you come and do not try this delight let me tell you that this talk was lost.

2. Chipi chipi rice

Like the guineo , thanks to its coastal location, seafood in Santa Marta is plentiful, which is why a lot of dishes are prepared with them; with this mollusk and with the rice, which can be found in all colors, smells and flavors. The chipi chipi is a mollusk found in the sand of the Samarian beaches. After cooking it becomes a stew that is added to the rice and as the Italians say, Mammamia, che buono!

3. Fried fish with patacón

This is the dish that par excellence accompanies beach trips, although you can clearly eat it at any time. This dish, golden, crunchy and definitely tasty is prepared with any type of fish; of sea, like the Red Snapper and the Mojarra, or of river, like, the Lebranche or the Sabalo. Take some gothic lemon and accompany it with some delicious patacones and you will not want more na ?. Of course, watch out for the thorns!

4. Sancocho

In Colombia and around the world soup is known, a rich, economical and easy-to-make broth that fits well with any food, but on the Coast; and especially in Santa Marta that name falls short. The sancocho is a soup, but taken to the next level, it does not skimp on its ingredients that make it a gateway of potatoes, yucca, arracachaca, yam, ripe plantain, corn, legumes and meat; the inevitable; which can be meat, chicken or fish.

5. Shrimp Cocktail

Although it is not a dish for lunch, breakfast or dinner, like the previous ones, it is beautiful as an aperitif or after a long day walking in the city. You will find it everywhere, from the most pupis restaurants, to the street vendor on the beach, to the cart that is parked in some parts of the city (for me, the best option to eat it). You can order it as you like, the traditional one of only shrimp in sauce or in oil, until mixed with octopus and spicy or normal ceviche.

However, whatever your tastes, if none of these dishes convinces you and you do not know what to eat in Santa Marta, what I can tell you is to leave your reservations aside, open up and let your taste buds be delighted and celebrate with the sea of flavors that you will find for your passage in Santa Marta