GASTRONOMY

Friche

This is the quintessential dish of La Guajira. It's made with goat meat and is seemingly easy to prepare, requiring only small pieces of goat meat, salt, oil, and a stovetop. It's typically served with cornmeal bread, grilled arepas, or yucca. In Wayuu culture, goat's blood is added to enhance the flavor.

Wild Game

In La Guajira, both the Wayuu and the Alijunas hunt animals such as rabbits, deer, and armadillos, among others, to prepare and eat.When you visit La Guajira, you absolutely must try the delicious red snapper, the most famous fish in this region. And of course, seafood like lobster, shrimp, and crabs are also a must-try.

Shrimp Rice

Here you'll find the best shrimp rice in the world, as the recipe has a unique touch: before starting to make the rice, the shrimp are dried until dehydrated to increase the concentration of flavor. This rice is usually served with delicious fried plantains, a green salad (carrot, onions, tomato, lettuce, and lemon) or a clown salad (beets, carrots, and pre-cooked potatoes), and a glass of panela water with lemon. Oh, and eating the "cucayo" (the bits stuck to the rice) is like being in paradise.

Malanga

This dish from La Guajira, Colombia, consists of boiled chicken with malanga. Malanga is a tuber similar to a potato or cassava. It is also prepared with garlic, scallions, and red onion. This dish is very important to the small town of Urumita in La Guajira and also to the community of Villanueva, representing a custom and tradition for them. Although this dish originated in La Guajira, it has also spread to Cesar, one of Colombia's 32 departments or provinces.