My Colombian Kitchen Essentials & Basics

If you are learning about Colombian cuisine or enjoy cooking my recipes. I've created a list of kitchen essentials, condiments and basics for Colombian cooking.

Pin

In this post, I will share key ingredients and kitchen essentials used in Colombian cooking, that are available here in the United States. That you should have in your pantry and fridge to prepare traditional Colombian meals at home. 

Colombian Aliños sauce is seasoning sauce or paste made with vegetables and spices that my grandmother kept in her refrigerator all year-round.

Every person and region has its own variation, to me this sauce is a Colombian cooking essential and the base for many traditional recipes.

Pin

The Colombian Pantry

My recipes always call for basic ingredients that are easy to find, and you likely already have them in your pantry.

Masarepa: It is precooked corn flour used to make Colombian arepas, empanadas and tamales. We also use it to make meatballs. Some of the brands available in the United States are Pan and Goya.

Arepas: You can buy them or make them at home.

Rice: It's one of the most important ingredients in Colombia. We use it to make drinks, side dishes, desserts and main dishes.

Pin

Cheese: This an important ingredient in Colombian cuisine and you can make fresh quesito at home or buy it at latin markets. Queso Salado is a popular cheese from the coast of Colombia and I can't find it here in the United States, but the closest to me is feta cheese. We use it to make traditional Colombian breads, to top our arepas and more. Cuajada is a soft cheese popular in the Cundinamarca region and it is delicious served with bread and hot chocolate.

Pin

Panela: Also known as piloncillo is a sugar cane and we use it as sweetener to make drinks, desserts and sauces.

Coconut Milk: It's a Colombian pantry staple and we use it to make drinks, soups, rice, desserts, main dishes and sauces. In Colombia some traditional cooks use fresh coconut milk, but I buy canned coconut milk in the United States to make my recipe.

Beans: Are an essential part of our gastronomy and one of the staples of our meals. They are versatile, filling and easy to find in every store. We use black, kidney, pinto, white and lentils,

Pin

Sazón: You can make your own sazón with color or buy it at the supermarket.

Dulce de Leche or Arequipe: You can buy it or make it at home

Herbs: Guascas, Cilantro, oregano and parsley are a popular herbs in Colombia.

Yuca: Cassava is a popular root vegetable and we fry it, roast it and use in soups and stews.

Plantains: We use them green or yellow to make soups, appetizers, side dishes and main courses.

Avocados: We Colombians love serving our soups and stews with avocado.

Potatoes: We use red small, white, yellow potatoes to make soups, stews, etc. And papa criolla (Andean potato) is one of the most popular potatoes in Colombian cuisine. I can't find fresh here in the United States, but they sell frozen ones at latin markets.

Tomatoes, Red Bell and Green Pepper, Onions, Garlic and Scallions: The Colombian pantry won't be complete if you don't have these ingredients.

Vegetables: Depending of the regions we use peas, carrots, green beans, eggplant and corn.

Cupboard Essentials: Guava paste, olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, white vinegar, bouillon cubes, all purpose flour, corn starch, baking powder, sugar, peanuts, canned tuna, ketchup, mayonnaise, beef, chicken and vegetable broth.

Spices: Achiote, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, anise, nutmeg, cloves, bay leaves, salt and pepper.

Fruits: We have an amazing fruit in Colombia and we eat them raw, but we also use them in many recipes. Some popular fruits are guanabana (soursop), maracuyá (passion fruit), lulo, mango, guayaba(guava), pineapple, bananas, corozo, granadilla, papaya, mamoncillo, tangerine, grapes, pitaya, tamarind and oranges.

Protein: We eat eggs, beef, pork, poultry and seafood. Every region uses different proteins depending on the recipe.

Pin

Kitchen Tools

To cook you always need a blender, good set of pots, knives, cutting boards, wooden spoons, baking tools, measuring cups and spoons, etc. So besides the things we all know are a must I have written a list of some items I use and love in my kitchen to cook Colombian food.

Some Traditional Colombian cooks like to use clay cookware, bowls and pitchers. They can be use for baking, broiling or in the stove top and open fire.

Pin

La Parrilla: We use it to cook our arepas and you can find them for gas or regular stove.

Pin

La Olleta y El Bolinillo: We use them to make our traditional Colombian Chocolate.

Olla Presión: Pressure cooker is an important tool in traditional Colombian cooking, because it helps to cook beans and sops faster.

Maquina de Moler: Manual grinder that we use to grind corn to make masa and to grind meat.