When traveling trough Colombia, you will find a wide range of foods. La Bandeja Paisa is an Antioquian delicacy and is the most internationally known of all Colombian foods, thanks to international media exposure.
The ingredients of La Bandeja Paisa are grilled steak, fried pork, beans (red or black, but usually red), fried egg, and an arepa. An arepa is a small corn roll, eaten any time of day (in the central region it is commonly served at breakfast). Sometimes the dish is accompanied by slices of avocado. There are other, less frequently seen versions of this dish that use exotic ingredients.
One of the drawbacks to this meal is that it is high in cholesterol, so anyone with a heart problem should not eat it. On the positive side, La Bandeja Paisa is high in protein, amino acids and carbohydrates found in the eggs, avocado and rice. Oddly, this popular dish was in the center of a controversy in 2005 when President Alvaro Uribe proposed to turn this dish into the national dish of Colombia. Some groups argued that it doesn't represent Colombia as a whole.
La Bandeja Paisa first appeared in the 40's and the 50's when several restaurants between Medellin and Bogota started experimenting with traditional Spanish, native and African foods -- a fusion cuisine on a national level. There is no record of La Bandeja Paisa prior to the 1940s. If you ever go to Bogota or a Colombian restaurant, try this wonderful dish, a great culinary ambassador from a magical country.