Bandeja paisa

Bandeja paisa, with variations known asbandeja dearriero,bandeja montañera, andbandeja antioqueña, is one of the most representative meals inColombian cuisine, especially of theAntioquiadepartment and thePaisa region, as well as with theColombian Coffee-Growers Axis(the departments ofCaldas,QuindíoandRisaralda,TolimaandValle del Cauca).Paisarefers to a person from thePaisa regionandbandejaisSpanishforplatter.
The main characteristic of this dish is the generous amount and variety of food in a traditional bandeja paisa:red beanscooked withpork, whiterice, carne molida (ground meat),chicharrón,fried egg,plantain(plátano maduro),chorizo,arepa,hogaosauce,black pudding(morcilla),avocadoandlemon.It is served in a platter or atray.
The origin of the bandeja paisa wasinfluenced by several different culturesthat inhabited Colombia throughout the centuries, including theindigenous peoples of Colombia, as well ascolonialSpaniards andAfricans. In the 19th century, French and British colonialists also brought their cuisine with them.
The current form and presentation of the Paisa platter is relatively recent.  There are no references in thefood writingabout this dish before 1950. It is probably an interpretation of the local restaurants of simpler peasant dishes. One of its most prominent features is the juxtaposition ofnative Americanand European ingredients, which is also observed in othermestizodishes ofLatin Americancuisine, such asVenezuelanpabellón criolloorCosta Ricangallo pinto.
A Paisa platter is traditionally served in a large, oval-shaped tray due to the large amount of food that is served.Side dishesincludemazamorra(amaize-derived beverage similar toatole) withmilkand groundpanela.
There are several variants of the dish all over the country with deletion or addition of ingredients, which cannot be recognized as bandeja paisa in the strictest sense.  SomeAntioquianrestaurants offer an "extended" bandeja paisa, also known as "seven meats platter", which contains, besides the aforementioned ingredients, grilledsteak, grilledporkandliver. Adiet-friendlyversion of the dish is very popular inBogotá, which replaces pork with grilledchicken breast, black pudding withsaladand chorizo with awiener.
In 2005, the Colombian government planned to make bandeja paisa thenational dish, with the name to be changed tobandeja montañera("mountain tray") to avoid the exclusion of people from outside the Paisa region. A number of people opposed this designation, arguing that only a small percentage of the Colombian population consumes it on a regular basis and that it originated in only a single region of Colombia (Antioquia).However, the suggested alternative,sancocho, is not a distinctively Colombian dish, as it is known and enjoyed in many other countries, such asCuba,Venezuela, theCanary Islands,Puerto Rico, theDominican RepublicandPanama.Due to the widespread ubiquity of sancocho, often Colombianajiacois instead considered the most indicative Colombian dish.
Nonetheless, the commercial Colombian tourism industry has pushed ahead without official government sanction by emblazoning ads, menus, and brochure information with imagery of the bandeja paisa as the single most typical Colombian dish.