In this blog post we cover some words for Spanish breakfast foods, especially Spanish vocabulary related to Colombian “gastronomía” (cuisine), in particular a Colombian breakfast from Medellin.

By the way, a typical Colombian breakfast in one region may be different from a typical Colombian breakfast in another region. Here’s a pic of a typical “desayuno paisa” (breakfast from Medellin):

Words for Spanish breakfast foods

The pic of the above “desayuno Paisa” (breakfast from Medellin) consists of the following:

1. Huevos con aliños (also called “huevos con hogao”) “Huevos” are eggs. And “huevos con aliños” consist of “huevos revueltos” (scrambled eggs) with “tomate y cebolla” (tomato and onion). By the way, when I lived on the coast of Colombia, in a city called Barranquilla, the term that they used for scrambled eggs is “huevos pericos.”

While we are on the topic of “huevos” here are a couple of words that English speakers often say wrong in Spanish. On more than one occasion, I have heard a native English speaker use a literal translation when referring to “egg whites.”

You do NOT call them “los blancos de huevos.” And when I first started learning Spanish, I once called the yolk “the yellow of an egg,” but in Spanish. Here are the correct words:

a. Claras de huevo (egg whites — literally “clears of the egg”)

b. Yema de huevo (egg yolk)

Back to the typical “desayuno paisa” …

2. Arepa de maíz con mantequilla — Corn arepa with butter. An arepa is a tortilla made of ground corn dough and it is popular in both Colombia and Venezuela. “Arepa” is not a favorite of mine. That explains why I believe I am one of the few people in Medellin who own a “tostador” (toaster). I prefer “tostada” (toast) over “arepa.”

3. Quesito — a white, very fresh, soft cheese.

4. Calentao– this is a mixture of the “frijoles” (beans) that are left over from the night before and the “arroz” (rice) that is left over from the night before.

5. The link to the above pic has a slice of “carne Asada” (grilled meat) which can be “res, puerco o pollo” (beef, pork or chicken). The “carne asada” can be substituted for “salchicha” (sausage) or “chorizo” (spicy sausage).

6. Café con leche (Coffee with milk) or “chocolate” (hot chocolate) or “jugo” (juice).

In a restaurant, this “desayuno” (breakfast) costs between 5.000 to 7.000 Colombian pesos. Between $2.50 and $3.50 U.S.

If you have never had a “desayuno paisa,” — trust me — you are not missing anything. A “desayuno americano” consisting of blueberry pancakes, Belgium waffles or french toast tastes a lot better.

Instead of Colombian food, I prefer the Mexican food of Southern California or the Dominican food of “Nueva York” (New York). From my personal experience (as well as the opinions of others) the Dominican food in New York tastes better than the Dominican food in “La República Dominicana.” Considering that the pizza in New York City tastes better than the pizza in Italy, this comes as no surprise.

I need to correct a statement that I made earlier . . .

Earlier, I said that I am not a huge fan of Colombian food. What I should have said is that I am not a huge fan of Colombian food in Colombia. In Queens, New York there’s a Colombian “barrio” (neighborhood) called Jackson Heights. If you are ever in Nueva York (New York) take a trip to Jackson Heights and eat at a Colombian Restaurant. My favorite one is called “La Boina Roja” — which means The Red Beret. It is not the most “restaurante elegante” — but the food is awesome!

Every time that I am in “Nueva York,” I eat at that the “La Boina Roja” in Queens. The Colombian workers there are always so happy to listen to me talk about my experiences as an American living in Colombia.

As you can tell, I am a “neoyorquino orgulloso” – proud New Yorker 🙂

***Notice that in Spanish we do not capitalize the names of nationalities and languages. And, yes, I am aware that “New Yorker” is not a nationality 🙂