Explore Plaza Guarín with Diego and Yarol. Plaza Guarín is located on one of Bucaramanga’s main streets and so it is frequented by local cooks, restaurants and home-cooks alike. Like all good markets in Colombia, Plaza Guarín offers products that are fresh and delicious, like exotic fruits and verdant vegetables.
The area around the market is home to many traditional restaurants that Diego and Yarol will tell you about as you explore the neighborhood.
Américo and his mother welcomed to me into their home this afternoon. We spent some time talking about possible menus and then off we went to several markets to buy the necessary fish, fruits, vegetables and other necessary ingredients for our dinner. Américo is a trained chef and his mother and he make a great team in the kitchen. They taught me how to prepare patacones, yuca frita, arroz, majorra, bocachico, jugo de lulo, ensalada rusa, ensalada de aguacate, papas amarillas, and more! It was delicious! They also took me to the dulceria Dona Mireya and bought me some local specialty sweets. I really appreciated spending the afternoon and evening with this wonderful son and mother team. Everyone in all the local shops knew them and It was interesting to see them interact. This was a great way to spend time with local people and their dog and a great way to get to know the people of Bucaramanga, Colombia, their local products, and their food. I recommend this market visit and cooking class to anyone wanting an authentic cultural and culinary experience.
