Flavors in Data: Discover Traditional Colombian Cuisine's Recipes

The Cocina colombiana platform is a space dedicated to highlighting the country’s gastronomic diversity and richness, showcasing each region’s traditional flavors and the abundance of ingredients that characterize them. With over 700 dishes and 500 ingredients, our gastronomy is as vast as it is diverse. Each dish tells a story, preserving the flavors of families and indigenous peoples. Grandmothers’ seasoning, the aroma of pots, stoves, the smell of firewood, and secrets passed down through generations fill each dish with memories and emotions.

Its research source is the Gran Libro de Cocina Colombiana, whose first edition came out of the editorial oven in mid-1984 and has been constantly updated, with its most recent publication in 2016 by the Ministry of Culture and the Basic Library of Colombian Culture. This work, compiled by Carlos Ordóñez Caicedo, not only groups recipes by region but shows us the cultural and historical affinities that shape our cuisine. The dishes are organized into five main categories: wheat, corn, and cassava doughs (arepas, empanadas, breads, and buñuelos); drinks made from fruits, roots, and seeds; soups, broths, creams, and sancochos with specific regional names; appetizers, main courses, and desserts.

From Data to Dish: A Colombian Cuisine Repository

Starting from the Gran Libro de Cocina Colombiana, we have worked to convert unstructured, non-reusable data into open information available to everyone. This has allowed us to build a data repository about the ingredients needed for each recipe.

To do this, we started with text extraction, using tools like pdftools to structure the content clearly and accessibly. The next phase focused on data identification, classifying information into relevant categories such as ingredients, difficulty, and cooking times. Subsequently, we proceeded to generate CSV files, organizing data in structured files that can be practically used by any user. We also executed data cleaning to increase accuracy and consistency, eliminating errors and standardizing terms. The final phase focused on visualization and narratives, where graphs and maps were developed to facilitate understanding of the collected data and were accompanied by testimonials from chefs and experts to provide depth and context to the information.

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The data tells stories of the region, history, cultures, landscapes that can be integrated into a pot with water under firewood, where exact measurements often give way to inherited intuition. That “pinch of salt”, which cannot be quantified in grams, represents wisdom passed down through generations. It is precisely this intangible dimension of our cuisine that enriches each dish. Below are some culinary characteristics by regions of the country.

Regional Culinary Characteristics:

• Antioquia and Old Caldas: Land of the famous mountain dish. Beans, rice with chorizo, and meatloaf are just some of the flavors that characterize this region, always faithful to its tradition.
• Boyacá and Cundinamarca: Between the cold and temperate climate of the central highlands, dishes like espinazo cuchuco and Boyacá biscuits stand out. Bogotá, the “nevera,” opens its doors and feeds everyone, is a gastronomic center that embraces both national and international cuisine.
• Atlantic Coast: Region that connects Colombia with the world through its seas, reflects African influence in its dishes. Fish, seafood, and Caribbean flavor star in this region.
• Pacific Coast: A paradise of culinary diversity. Afro-descendant traditions and the richness of river and sea fish complement exotic fruits like borojó and chontaduro.
• Llanos and Amazon: Where turtle meat is a delicacy and cocuma a nutritious drink, essential in children’s nutrition. Here, gastronomy reflects the deep connection with nature, the reflection of landscape on a plate.
• Santanderes: Corn, called “aba” by indigenous people, is the protagonist in dishes like mazamorra and drinks like chicha. Its heritage includes mute and kid goat with pepitoria, so appreciated throughout the country.
• Tolima and Huila: Two regions united by their culinary proximities. Lechona, the quintessential dish that accompanies family celebrations in the country, or achiras, which are common to find at Colombian roadside stands.
• Valle, Cauca, and Nariño: From fried flours accompanying Valle dishes to Nariño’s guinea pig, this region surprises with its flavor diversity.

Essential Ingredients: Base of Our Cuisine

The Colombian cuisine data platform offers researchers, chefs, students, and gastronomy enthusiasts. Using the AppDatasketch, we explore and analyze the data repository to know the ingredients that predominate in the cookbook, as shown in the following bar graph.

Explore the complete repository of Colombian gastronomy in Datasketch.

The visualization allows us to know that Colombian gastronomy’s base focuses on basic and versatile flavors, capable of enriching a wide variety of preparations. Salt, garlic, and onion provide the fundamental flavor in sofritos and stews, while oil and butter are essential for cooking techniques that highlight aroma and texture. On the other hand, ingredients like sugar and milk reflect the tradition of desserts and sweet drinks, integrating sweet nuances into the daily diet. This selection also underlines a cuisine based on accessible and adaptable ingredients, allowing recipes to preserve authenticity in each region of the country.