Gastronomy

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Cali has been elected as the second gastronomical destination in Colombia. You may find a great variety of gastronomical offers as in any other city in the World, since there are a great variety of specialized restaurants in different gastronomical areas. Here, many world standard typical restaurants have been established. There are districts that focus on this trend, such as Granada, Ciudad Jardín, San Antonio and the Parque del Chontaduro, this last being the most popular.

Typical products and dishes

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The typical food of the city is considered the most popular of all Colombia. It is characterized by its great variety in organic ingredients such as fruit, vegetables, and vegetable farming from the Cauca valley.

There are many typical dishes in Cali, but the most popular are the “sancocho” with chicken, “atollado” rice, “empanadas vallunas”, “aborrajados vallunos”, “marranitas vallunas”, “pandebonos vallunos” and many more.

We should also highlight, apart from the main dishes, the following typical beverages:

• Champoos: elaborated basically with honey of “panela” and “chancaca”, corn, fruit as the “lulo” and “naranjilla”, pineapple, “membrillo” or “guanábana” and seasoned with cinammon, “clavos de olor” and bitter orange leaves.
• Cholado: elaborated from scraped ice, to which you add fruit and condensed milk. Among the fruits used, you may find the “barano”, Green apple, strawberry, grape, papaya or pineapple.

Regarding the starters, it is very common to find the “antiojitos caleños” with the “marranitas” or “puerquitas”, which are elaborated with fried banana and “chicharrón”; the “empanadas”; the “aborrajados” made of mature banana filled with cheese and sandwich (sweet or guayaba jam”).

As deserts, it is worth to mention the White banquette (“Manjar blanco”), The “Pata” jellies, the “Macetas del Valle” and the “Aborrajado”, very famous among the residents.

Restaurants

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The Peñon and the classical town of Granada all together include more than 60 typical restaurants. They are distinguished by its low-key publicity, its good music, its terraces full of clients, and by its well decorated surroundings, visitors walking back and forth and fashion boutiques that accompany the good atmosphere.

The San Antonio neighbourhood preserves a more traditional flavor, with its stone paved streets, a lively culture and a beautiful view to the entire city, apart from having numerous bars.