Bucaramanga's food culture is one of the most distinctive in Colombia. Santander cooking is unapologetically heavy — roasted meats, thick stews, and fried everything — and the city eats it with pride. Start with hormigas culonas (roasted leafcutter ants) at any market stall, then move on to cabro al pastor, slow-spit-roasted goat that falls apart at a touch. Mute santandereano, a thick stew of offal, chickpeas, and corn, is the Sunday staple that every local household has its own version of. The historic centre and the Cabecera del Llano neighbourhood both have clusters of good restaurants serving regional food alongside more familiar Colombian standbys.