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Colombia is the fifth largest country in Latin America, situated in the northwestern part of the continent, standing watch over the strip of land that connects South America with North America. Colombia is the third largest producer of coffee globally, and the fifth largest producer of cocoa.
Cacao was consumed in Colombia for thousands of years, varieties of the plant are endemic to the country. However, large-scale cultivation of the plant first took place in 1622, in Valle del Cauca. Production ramped up in the second half of the 18th century, and continues today, the country is now the fifth largest exporter of the fabled beans. Most Colombians drink hot chocolate daily, usually with breakfast, and with evening snacks. There are several ways to prepare the mixture. The drink may simply be stirred in cacao. Others add processed cocoa powder, with hot water, or milk, and stirred with a Molinillo (traditional whisk, worked with the palms of both hands). Spices may also be added for variety and taste.
Colombia is a laidback land that blends cultures, food, and people. It is a rich landscape with diverse biomes: the snow peaked mountains and volcanoes of the Andes range run through the center, deserts cover the north, tropical beaches line the north and west, and vast grasslands span the east. The wide range of climates and altitudes bless the country with diverse produce, a good bit of which is exported. Agriculture is a common vocation; coffee, cacao, fruit, sugarcane, vegetables, oil seeds, tobacco, and pique are some of the crops grown here.
The majority of Colombia’s citizens are descendants of three ethnic groups - Native Indians, Africans, and Europeans. Colombian cuisine is also an amalgamation of the culinary traditions of the six main regions within the country- Amazonian, Andean, Caribbean, Orinoco, Pacific, and Insular. Colombian food is primarily Spanish-indigenous, with strong Afro-Caribbean influences. The country’s official dish is Bandeja Paisa - a mix of beans, white rice, chicharrón (fried pork rind), minced beef, chorizo, blood sausage, plantain, avocado and arepa (corn cakes). The meal originates from the agricultural region of Paisa, and was long regarded as ‘peasant food’, economical, and hearty, meant to keep workers on their toes all day long.
This blending and mixing is pervasive in Colombia. It creates innovations in unexpected ways. The most interesting, and widespread, way Colombians bring this approach to their love of chocolate is combining it with their other great love – cheese. That’s right, Colombia enjoys hot chocolate with cheese. As strange and otherworldly as that may sound, most Colombians will tell you that generations of their families have long cherished the beverage this way. There's a saying in Colombia - “chocolate sin queso es como amor sin beso”, which translates to chocolate without cheese is like love without a kiss.
Traditionally, this chocolate & cheese beverage is prepared on a stove stop, in a bulbous jug called chocolatera. Bars of chocolate are broken into a mixture of milk and water (spices may be added at this stage), and is whisked with a molinillo. The mixture is brought to a boil three times (in accordance with tradition. Colombians believe one could fall ill if you don’t boil it three times). A chunk of cheese is then added to the cup in which the beverage is to be served. It is topped off with the piping hot mixture, and served with a small fork on the side to eat the cheese.
This beverage, chocolate santafereño is something Colombians swear by. They call it chocolate completo when it is served with bread for dipping. Don't let the straightforward name fool you, this drink really does taste great. It works so well because the combination of ingredients creates an unconventional but delectable concoction. Carbs and fats usually combine to make delectable combinations, and this one’s no different. This blend of chocolate and cheese is uplifted by the tinge of saltiness in the cheese used. Queso campesino or queso doble crema are the cheeses of choice for the preparation. Sometimes, Mexican queso oaxaca may also be used. Restaurants outside Colombia seeking to replicate the taste of this drink often use freshly made mozzarella, which is often the only soft cheese that can compare to queso campesino.
The quality of cheese is also important. Most commercially available cheese in Colombia is cut with oil, or hydrogenated vegetable fat, in order to increase total fat content, and affordability. Colombian chefs who set up shop abroad often praise the way cheese is made outside their home country: artisanal cheese on a commercial scale. This is more common in Oceania, North America, and Europe, while Asian countries are catching on fast. Colombia struggles to produce this cheese at the scale required, and it is also believed that most Colombians make do the economical store bought variety anyway.
