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Coffee machine steamed eggs. I had never heard of such a thing. Much less that it’s a traditional dish. But yes, turns out that Salamina, in the Caldas department of Colombia, is famous for it. Not only that, it’s not the only dish steamed this way, there are more.
Salamina has a lot going for it. The government declared it cultural patrimony and heritage town. UNESCO, world patrimony, as part of the coffee cultural landscape of Colombia. Yet it is not as popular as nearby towns of Salento, Filandia, or Jerico. However, Salamina offers some of the most authentic architecture, gastronomy, and landscapes of the Colombian coffee region.
Antique colonial house fill the town’s center, made with traditional building materials, such as bahareque (compact layers of gravel, sand, or clay) and tapia (similar to bahareque, but with wood support), with colorful balconies on its delightful main park. Yet Salamina’s true touristic potential are its people, food, and nature.
It was already late, around 5pm. I didn’t need to get back to Medellín in a hurry, so I changed navigation on my phone and headed to Salamina.
This was back in early 2023, on the way from Salento to Medellín. I noticed on my phone’s map that I had marked a place sort of in between. It was Salamina, a town in the department of Caldas, part of the 17 heritage towns of Colombia.
The road was in pretty good conditions. Curvy and going up the mountain, I was making great time. But then, pavement turn into dirt. No problem, I thought. I was driving a Mazda 2. 2021 version, I think. Low clearance, but still tall enough for a normal dirt road.
Driving on dirt roads in a low car is a gamble. The further you drive, the riskier the gamble. Any obstacle tall or low enough, it’s all lost. Sweat, time and worry. Go back, all the way.
This dirt road was looking okay. I cleared some tough sections. Each with a relief. If I have to return, I’ll have to clear them again. Stop that. Focus ahead, stay positive.
My biggest challenge came around 7 pm. A recent landslide had blocked the dirt road ahead. A bulldozer, I assume, had cleared a section on top of the landslide. Clearly a temporary fix, but a very real obstacle for my car.
The stakes had increased. The first part of this big pile of landslide with a path on top looked somewhat passable. It was heart-wrenching. Once on top of the landslide, there was no going back.
Fortunately, I found no major obstacle. Some deep grooves on the path, but nothing the Mazda 2 couldn’t handle with some minor scrapes underneath. The rest of the way to town was a relative breeze.
After checking in at Bonsai Hotel (simple affordable hotel close to the main park), I went for a walk in town. It was Saturday night, everyone in town seemed out to enjoy the night. I eat at Galerias and went to the main park. It was so lively. Townsfolk enjoying their time, chatting and drinking in the park. At the bars and liquor stores in front too.
I bought a beer at La Nuega. Immediately a young man started a conversation. People in Salamina are friendly. He was a good football player, went to Mexico to play professional football. Partying and other vices got in the way. Before long, he was back in Salamina. While standing in front of the liquor store, people called him “Mexico”, I couldn’t be certain if in good spirits.
I sat in the park and not long after, three girls came over and started a conversation. People in Salamina are friendly. They invited me to join them at Amorama bar in the plaza for an aguardiente.
It turned out, one of the girl’s family runs El Polo, the 50 plus years old café that invented the traditional Huevos al Vapor. Take a coffee cup, put real, homemade butter and crack an egg in it. Mix with some salt. Take an antique coffee machine, put the cup in the steamer. The same used to froth milk for your café lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites, whatnot. In good hands, this mixture will turn into a soft, fluffy, buttery egg omelette in a cup. Cooking eggs with a coffee machine, that’s taking coffee culture to another level. Take that, Italians.
Best places to eat in Salamina
⭐️ Café el Polo / $ / Google Maps
With more than 50 years in operation, Café Polo is responsible for some of Salamina’s most traditional dishes, like Huevos al Vapor. Here, you can also try Macanas, Tirados, and Pan Chuzado. This café has elevated cooking with a coffee machine steamer to an art.
Don Fermín / $$ / Google Maps
Elegantly decorated colonial house turned gastro-bar. This place feels like being invited to your friend’s family house, if that family was part of Colombian coffee region royalty. While I could help but worry about spilling my little tinto onto what looks like invaluable antique furniture and decoration, this place offers a great ambiance to spend the afternoon. The balcony overlooking the church and plaza is one of the best spots.
Galerias / $ / Google Maps
The complete opposite feel of Don Fermín, this street is for enjoying tasty, greasy, cheap street food at night. Order something from one of the carts, find a stool to sit, and observe all types of townsfolk come together here to drink, dance, and eat.
Amorama / $ / Google Maps
At night, this café turns into one of the most popular bars in town for locals to drink and dance. Be warned, townsfolk are very friendly, so it’s likely you’ll meet some nice people here.
Best food to try in Salamina
Coffee culture has permeated more than just drinks in Salamina, it has created a whole subset of innovative dishes.
⭐️ Huevos al vapor (Steamed eggs)
One of the most ingenious and bizarre ways to cook an egg. In a coffee cup, usually a greca, add eggs, butter, salt, and toppings like cheese or ham, then cooked on an antique coffee machine steamer for around 20 seconds. The rapid flow of steam cooks the eggs into a spongy, soft, buttery omelette. Order Huevos Al Vapor with Pan Chuzado, a bun steamed with another dose of butter using same coffee machine technique. Where to eat: Café El Polo
⭐️ Macana
This is a hot drink/dessert made using the signature coffee machine steamer of Salamina. Salt crackers, sugar, butter, and milk are mixed together in a cup and steamed using a preferably ancient coffee machine steamer. Topped with cinnamon, the result is a sweet, hot, cakey texture sort of drink. Where to eat: Café El Polo
Tirados
Hard candy made using sugar cane (panela) water and butter. The difference with tirados from other regions is that in Salamina they are made with sugar cane instead of sugar. Where to eat: Café El Polo
Best things to visit in Salamina
Parque Bolivar / Free / Google Maps
Ample and dosed with tall trees, the main park has one of the most elegant center fountains in Colombia. Built in Germany, the fountain traveled from Europe to Barranquilla by boat, through the Magdalena river, until reaching Honda. From there, mule and horses were needed to reach its final destination. The basilica Inmaculada Concepción was built in the 1860s in Romanesque style. The bell of the temple was built using gold and silver donated by the townspeople.
Cementerio La Valvanera / Free / Google Maps
This white cemetery was built in 1901 with a chapel in the Gothic-Baroque style. While the cemetery had a wall dividing the graves of the poor and the rich (?), in 1970, this wall was knocked down.
Bosque Natural Palma de Cera La Samaria / Free / Google Maps
Similar to the Cocora Valley near Salento, this forest features tall wax palms in their natural habitat. The main key difference, Salamina has far fewer tourists. Wax palms take 60 years to reach their full height. The forest is located 45 minutes away from Salamina in the village of San Felix.
