The Bandeja Paisa is the typical meal for the Medellin, Antioguia region of Colombia. The meal is generally served in massive portion sizes so be prepared to do some work in finishing it. The typical Bandeja Paisa includes rice, a piece of meat, chorizo sausage, beans, plantain, and a pork product called chicharron. The variety of meats and carbs generally usually leads people from outside the country to wonder why the Colombians aren’t fatter than they are; or at the least suffer from very high levels of heart problems.
While in North America the habit is to eat the big meal of the day in the early evening, that’s not the case in Colombia. In Colombia people eat the biggest meal of the day around 2pm. In fact, most schools start very early in the morning so that they can be home in time for lunch; a lunch that on special occasions might be a Bandeja Paisa.
