Bandeja paisa

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The Bandeja Paisa dish.

Bandeja paisa, also known as bandeja de arriero or bandeja montañera, is a typical dish of the Antioquian kitchen. It could be said that a fundamental characteristic of this dish is its enormous abundance in amount and variety of foods, in such a way that it is only possible to serve it in trays of significant size.

In 2005 the Colombian government planned to make bandeja paisa the national dish, but with the name of bandeja montañera (mountain tray). There were, nevertheless, people who were against this designation, arguing that only a small percentage of the Colombian population consumes it, that its origin comes from a single region of Colombia (Antioquia) and that its designation does not include the opinion of expert gourmets who consider sancocho as the typical plate of Colombia because it is prepared in several regions of the country and different ways. Also it was argued that it was a whim of the politicians currently in power. Sancocho, in addition, is not a distinctive plate of Colombia, because it is known and enjoyed in many other countries like Panama, Argentina, Venezuela, Canary Islands and Dominican Republic. Due to the widespread ubiquity of sancocho, often Colombian ajiaco is instead indicated as the most indicative Colombian dish.

Nonetheless, the commercial Colombian tourism industry has pushed ahead without official government sanction by blazening ads, menus, and brochure information with imagery of the bandeja paisa as the singlemost typical Colombian dish.

Typically, bandeja paisa includes grilled steak (either ground or whole), chicharrón (fried pork rind), red beans, rice, chorizo (sausage), a fried egg, arepa, and arepa de choclo. It is usually accompanied by sweet fried plantains and a slice of avocado. Some versions include a tomato or sauces like hogao, a potato, or other ingredients.

[edit] Nutrition

The Bandeja Paisa is said to be of no good for the heart and it may cause hypertension, diabetes and obesity. Contains a high level of calories, carbohydrates and saturated fats.[1]