Read on to learn more about Colombian food.

Colombian food is becoming increasingly diverse with time. On the one hand, there is the deeply traditional food that is so ingrained in the culture that many Colombians are not particularly interested or willing even, to change their eating habits. On the other end of the spectrum, you have a country with massive diversity of local produce due to its contrasting climactic regions, that provides top notch ingredients for the booming restaurant scene.

Especially the larger cities such as Bogota, Medellin, Cali and of course Cartagena, have high-end restaurants that serve international as well as modern Colombian cuisine.

You can divide food culture by regions, and rural vs. urban. That, and of course, wealth. There's no denying, Colombia has vast differences between rich and poor and it often seems as though they live in different worlds altogether. In many ways, they really do.

If eating at a restaurant, I find it's best to go for traditional unless if the restaurant is of the necessary caliber to pull of good Italian, Sushi, Chinese or whatever it may be.

Colombians like their meat, especially pork, although this does vary depending on the region. Main dishes are usually served with arepa (corn bread), platano (plantain), arroz (rice) and/ or frijoles (beans), sometimes a number of these To a lesser extent but still prevalent, there is of course the potato.

Bogota is known for its Ajiaco, a chicken broth made with potatoes, corn and avocado.

People from Medellin and Antioquia are passionate about their Sancocho. This stew comes in all forms but consists essentially of some form of meat, plantain, corn, yuca and other vegetables. It's usually fairly crammed with all sorts of tasty stuff.

The coast relies far more on seafood and is known for its fried fish with arroz con coco (coconut rice) and selfish soups.

Food is often hearty but healthy. It's typically not of the processed sort so prevalent elsewhere these days and relatively "organic".

A new trend started emerging around the year 2000 and has been increasing steadily since then. Improved safety levels, increased wealth and a more cosmopolitan approach to eating, particularly in the bigger cities, is making Colombia an interesting place to dine.

Personally, I think something big is happening here. Embracing traditional recipes and giving a touch of modern, with the abundance of fresh produce and ingredients that this nation has, it looks set to become a major food destination.

What's your favorite Colombian food?

Do you have a favorite Colombian dish or recipe and want to share it? This is the place.