Medellín food tour

MEDELLÍN FOOD TOUR - Medellín's appetite was forged in the mountains. Long before the city became Colombia's industrial powerhouse, the fertile valleys of Antioquia were feeding farming communities on maize, beans, plantains and pork. Indigenous traditions laid the foundations, Spanish colonists brought livestock and new ingredients

Over four hours and 12+ tastings, we're tearing through Medellín's historic centre, hunting down neighbourhood institutions, street vendors and local eateries.

First, a quick tinto coffee, before following the smell of hot oil to our buñuelos. These golden cheese-studded dough balls emerge from the fryer crisp on the outside, soft and springy within, and dangerously moreish.

Cut through Plaza Botero, where the famously voluptuous bronze sculptures of Medellín-born artist Fernando Botero stand guard over the city's bustling centre. We're here for something equally substantial tamal antioqueño. Unwrap the steaming banana leaf to reveal seasoned maize dough packed with pork, vegetables and spices. It's a little parcel of Antioquian food history.

Medellín's near-perfect spring climate makes the streets a pleasure to explore, so we'll keep moving. Cool down with freshly pressed sugarcane juice, sharpened with a squeeze of lime, before raiding a roadside vendor for papitas criollas. These tiny golden Andean potatoes are fried until their skins wrinkle and crisp around impossibly creamy centres.

Next comes avena caleña, a thick, chilled oat drink scented with cinnamon that travelled from Cali to become a favourite across Colombia. Think liquid rice pudding's considerably more interesting cousin.

But we're saving some serious room for lunch. Pull up a chair for fiambre al plato, a feast with its roots in the packed meals once carried by Antioquia's farmers and labourers. Traditionally wrapped in banana leaves, this isn't food designed for small appetites. Expect tender pork ribs, juicy Colombian chorizo, hearty beans, fluffy rice and buttery avocado, all piled into one glorious spread.

Time for a little sharpener. Duck into a local bar for a little glass of aguardiente antioqueño, Medellín's beloved anise-flavoured firewater.

Then we're back on the streets for arepa de chócolo, sweet corn griddled until lightly caramelised and crowned with melting cheese. The sweetness of the maize against the salty cheese is a combination worth crossing the Andes for. Follow it with pastel gloria, flaky golden pastry hiding a sticky-sweet marriage of guava paste and cheese.

There are 12+ tastings to conquer, and we're not finished yet. Slip into a little local specialist you'd be hard-pushed to uncover alone for pastel de pollo, crisp pastry packed with savoury chicken, and empanada paisa, a golden maize pocket filled with seasoned meat and potatoes. Add a spoonful of fiery ají and prepare for the crunch.

We'll finish where Colombia's international reputation for flavour really took off: coffee. The mountains surrounding Medellín helped make Antioquia one of the country's historic coffee-growing regions, and the bean became central to Colombia's economy and identity. Over a properly brewed cup, discover how coffee shaped the lives and fortunes of generations of Colombians.