COLOMBIA

CAPITAL: Bogota

ETHNIC INFLUENCES: Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, African, Amerindian.

POPULAR RESTAURANTS in BOGOTA: Andres Carne de Res. 

BREAKFAST: changua, a milk, scallion and egg soup, arepas con huevos, eggs baked in corn cakes.

SNACKS: breads, tamales, roasted ants. 

BREAD: arepa, a corn dough bread, Pandeyuca (Baked cheese bread made with yucca flour), sago bread, corn bread. 

CHEESE: Suero is a cross between yogurt and sour cream 

POPULAR DISHES: ajiaco (chicken soup with corn and potatoes), barbecued meat, Caldo de costilla (Spanish for rib broth) 

OTHER DISHES: Fritanga is another popular Colombian dish made of meats, fried plantains, chicharron, and yellow potatos with aji sauce eaten all over Colombia, many varieties of tamales. 

LOCAL DRINKS: Aguardiente a sugar cane liqueur, Guarapo fermented fruits, chocolate, coffee,  

PRODUCE: Pork, beef, coconut, zapote, nispero, lulo, uchuva (rare tropical fruit) bananas, passionfruit, mango, guava, apples, pears.

NEED TO KNOW: Chicha, a strong alcoholic drink, often made from corn, was formerly forbidden.

FESTIVAL FOODS: Bean, corn and meat dishes. Drinking of cacao , made from ground chocolate, corn, lima beans and anise. 

UNUSUAL FOODS: Whale liver is sometimes used on the Caribbean coast. 

HEALTHY EATING: Bottled water should be drunk by non-locals.

Want to add anything? What is YOUR favourite dish or place to eat in this country?

COOK ISLANDS

CAPITAL: Avarua 

ETHNIC INFLUENCES: Polynesian, Tahitian and New Zealand 

POPULAR RESTAURANTS: Trader Jack's, Metua's Café, Sandals Restaurant, Staircase Restaurant & Bar.   

BREAKFAST: Fresh tropical fruits and coconut. 

POPULAR DISHES: Ika mata a raw fish dish (marinated in lime juice, with tomatoes, onions and coconut cream), pickled fish salad and pawpaw salad, breadfruit stew (Tiopu kuru). 

OTHER DISHES: Ungakoa, a shellfish eaten raw or cooked and served with cooked taro or boiled green banana, raro tarati salad mixed salad ingredients with coconut cream, moana-roa mahimahi, a local fish platter, 'poke' - banana or pawpaw pudding.

LOCAL DRINKS: coconut juice, beer, wine. 

PRODUCE: Fish and seafood, chicken, pork, fruit, vegetables, taro, arrowroot, kumara 

NEED TO KNOW: If you're invited to a Cook Island food feast it is customary to let the chief eat first. 

FESTIVE FOODS: umukai is food cooked on hot stones in an earth oven, whole baked pig. Christmas dinner is often like an English one.

UNUSUAL FOODS: Breadfruit has an aroma of freshly baked bread, sea grapes (remu) are a sort of seaweed. 

HEALTHY EATING: Visitors should drink bottled water.

Want to add anything? What is YOUR favourite dish or place to eat in any of this country?