When you are on the street in Medellin you will often smell wafts of tempting fried food tempting you over. Street food culture is big in the city, whether it is extravagant remaining of international favorites or adapting traditional local foods to offer on the go, there is a lot to try.
In this article, I will talk about some of the best street foods in Medellin and what to try while out exploring the city.
Empanadas
Empenadas are a fried snack with a savory filling that is very popular all over Colombia. They have a crispy fried dough outer layer and inside they are packed full of a range of ingredients, depending on the region and type. They are best enjoyed by biting off the point of the crescent-shaped shell and then pouring in sauces, such as aji which is a favorite.
In Medellin, empanadas often have mashed potatoes inside with shredded meat or chicken. You can also find them with hogao, a mix of onions, tomatoes, and other flavorings. On the coast, they can come with an egg inside while in Cali they can be sweet, with dulce de leche or guava.
They are found all over and are very popular. Definitely one of the best street foods in Medellin which are enjoyed at all hours of the day.
salchipapa
This is a very popular option at any time of the day but particularly popular in the early hours after a few drinks.
Salchipapa comes in a tray with french fries as the base, the ‘papas’. You can then find an assortment of toppings including salchicha (sausages), lots of melted cheese, potentially bacon, and tons of sauces. You will often have a quail egg stuck in the top and people will tuck in using cocktail sticks.
A salchipapa is as good as it sounds and for many, it is the perfect end to an evening. You can find salchipapa at fast food restaurants all over town and while the basics are standard, some establishments will add their own twist.
Piles of hot french fries, cheese, sauces, and sausage mean salchipapa is of course one of the best street foods in Medellin.
Hamburgers
Colombian street hamburgers are pretty epic. The meat is often quite slim and underwhelming, the bread is typically white and simple but it is everything else that makes it special.
One of the popular local fast food restaurants Los Verdes, for example, offers some pretty epic options. Their Tiranoburger has thick bread, 250 grams of meat, bacon, tomato, pickles, lettuce, cheese, quals egg, onion, salad, ripio de papa (small, crispy chips), and a mountain of sauce. This is a little larger and higher quality than what you will find on the street but it is definitely in keeping with their paisa idea of a hamburger.
If you get a burger from a street vendor in the UK then you can expect ketchup, bread, meat, and maybe a bit of cheese. The colossal Colombian burgers are definitely amongst the best street foods in Medellin after a few drinks.
Hot Dogs and ‘perras’
Colombian hot dogs follow a formula similar to that of local hamburgers; the bread and sausage form the foundations for everything else to be piled up on top of.
You can find bacon, salad, cheese, ripio de papa, quals egg, and six or seven different sauces. The ripio de papa gives a different texture but doesn’t have a lot of flavor. In Medellin, they have even scrapped the sausage altogether for a modern interpretation known as a ‘perra’, a female dog. This has the usual hot dog bun but is instead packed with bacon at the base with cheese and other ingredients stacked on top.
Once again Medellin takes a recognized fast food staple and takes it to the next level with a bit of everything all fried and piled on top.
Arepas
This is the beloved food that has become emblematic of Medellin and is a staple for almost any occasion. Arepa is a flatbread made of ground maize dough. In 2006 they were named a cultural symbol of Colombia and there are Arepa Festivals held in Barranquilla, Bogota, Bucaramanga, Cali, and Medellin.
In Medellin, the variation that is most popular is thin and savory which can be flavored with cheese or used as the for butter and other flavors. There are reportedly 75 different variations of arepa around Colombia which can include egg, yuca, chicken, cream cheese, chicken, and chicharron.
Venezuela also has a very tasty variation of the area which has become increasingly popular in Medellin as the population from Colombia’s neighboring population has grown. Venezuelan arepas are a little thicker and are filled with ingredients such as beef, avocado, and cheese. There is a friendly rivalry as to which country has the best arepas.
Arepas are something that Colombians love and foreigners don’t always immediately get. They don’t have a powerful or striking flavor but are warm, filling, and with a nice, subtle taste. It is something you grow to really enjoy and Colombians will always connect arepas with time spent with friends and family.
In time you will grow to really enjoy arepas as an essential part of any traditional Colombian meal and one of the best street foods in Medellin.
Buñuelos
Buñuelos are fried dough fritters that are prepared and seasoned differently around the world. In Colombia, they are made with a small curd of white cheese, formed into balls, and then fried until the outside is golden brown.
Rather than wheat they are made with flour and cornmeal with a savory flavor. They are like doughnuts but without the sugar or sweet flavor. Buñuelos are particularly popular in December and are considered a Christmas treat, often enjoyed with natilla (a sweet pudding) and manjar blanco (blancmange).
Buñuelos are also a popular street food often enjoyed in the morning with coffee or in the evening with tea. A soft, warm, filling snack which is one of the best street foods in Medellin on a chilly day.
Obleas
Obleas are made by taking 2 thin, round wafers covering them with arequipe, a Colombian version of dulce de leche, and then making a sandwich full of sweet and savory fillings. Obleas can reportedly be traced back to ancient Greece, but it has been popular in Bogota for about 300 years and spread across the country in the 1940s.
You can enjoy obleas all over Colombia now and they are a popular street snack. Fillings can include fruit, cream, candy, and cheese. Colombians love to combine cheese with very sweet food and drink. It is a little unusual but most people who try it find it surprisingly delicious.
Obleas is one of the best street foods in Medellin if you want a sweet, fruity treat with your favorite ingredients.
Chicharrón
This is one of the most popular Colombian delicacies and when I describe it most of you will immediately understand why.
Chicharrón is deep-fried pork that is cooked with the skin left on so it gets very crispy. It is often served in restaurants and people are shocked by the giant slab of juicy, crispy pork. It can also be enjoyed as a street food or as part of a picada (mixed meat serving plate). This is like a giant, amazing pork scratching.
Hugely popular and definitely one of the best street foods in Colombia.
Mazorca asada
This is corn on the cob grilled over a barbecue and covered in butter with some light seasoning.
This is a simple one but it can be delicious with the smoke from the fire and a generous amount of butter that seeps into the fresh corn. Sometimes you don’t need to overcomplicate things and on a cool night, this can be one of the best street foods in Medellin.
Cholado
Cholado is a sweet and refreshing treat that is perfect on a hot day.
It is made with shaved ice soaked in condensed milk and served in a cup with fruit, sauces, and syrups. It is similar to what Mexicans call respados, with both words coming from the Spanish words meaning ‘to scrape’. You will often find sellers with carts on the street offering cholado with a range of toppings.
A very traditional sweet treat and one of the best street foods in Medellin to cool off from the midday heat.
