Fancy Ant Tasting | Barichara, Colombia: DO
A hands-on culinary experience with Margarita Higuera that introduces guests to Santander's most unapologetic snack.
DO: Experiences that unfold like a story, open doors to hidden worlds, and introduce guests to people, places, and ideas they wouldn’t find on their own.
Nobody Reaches for the First Ant
The bowl is already on the table.
Inside are hormigas culonas, Santander's famous fat-bottom insect, freshly thawed and ready for the first nibble.
Nobody reaches for one.
Someone laughs awkwardly.
Someone else stares down the bowl a little longer than necessary.
Margarita Higuera has seen this moment many times.
She smiles.
"Just one warning," she says. "When they are still uncooked, any unplucked legs can get stuck in your teeth."
One by one, everyone takes their first bite.
An hour later, the same people who weren't sure they could eat a creepy-crawly are debating which preparation tasted best.
A younger guest looks up from the final tasting and shrugs.
"Taste like Pringles. Once you pop, you can't stop."
Nobody reaches for the first ant. Margarita Higuera introduces guests to Santander's legendary hormigas culonas.
A guest holds a hormiga culona in the palm of their hand during the Fancy Ant Tasting experience in Barichara, Santander, Colombia.
The Skinny
A private hands-on cooking experience exploring Santander's legendary hormigas culonas
Hosted by culinary storyteller Margarita Higuera
Taste the ants through several stages of preparation, discovering how flavor and texture evolve with each step
Learn why this seasonal snack has become one of Santander's defining culinary traditions
During harvest season, guests may accompany local collectors into nearby fields before returning to the kitchen
Part of the Nicholas Gill x WhereNext Collection, celebrating remarkable culinary experiences across Colombia and Peru
Designed for curious travelers, families, and small private groups looking to experience a side of Colombia few visitors ever encounter
The Experience
Rather than serving a finished dish, Margarita introduces guests to the insect one stage at a time. Each tasting reveals how heat slowly transforms the ants, changing their texture, aroma, and character.
The first sample is raw.
The next develops deeper roasted notes.
Regional herbs and seasonings begin to appear. Each preparation builds on the last until the final tasting becomes smoky and savory.
The questions stop being, "How am I going to eat this?"
They become, "I didn't expect them to taste like that."
Between bites, Margarita shares the story behind the ants.
"Ants are part of our identity here in Santander," she explains. "It's a tradition that hasn't been lost over the years. These ants are present in many parts of the country, but only in Santander are we known for eating them. That's a legacy left by our Indigenous ancestors."
Depending on the season, the experience may begin long before the cooking starts. Guests head into nearby fields to collect the insects during their brief annual emergence before returning to prepare them together.
Small bites. Big conversations.
Margarita guides guests through the slow transformation from raw to roasted.
A Brief History
Across Colombia, people know what hormigas culonas are.
In Santander, people know how they taste.
Harvested during a short seasonal window, these large leafcutter ants have been gathered, roasted, and shared here for generations. They appear in family kitchens, local markets, roadside stalls, and holiday celebrations. They are as much a symbol of the region as they are a food.
Most travelers encounter them in a plastic bag.
Few ever learn why they became part of Santander's identity or how dramatically their flavor changes depending on the way they're prepared.
Who This Is For
This experience works especially well for:
Curious food travelers looking beyond restaurant dining
Families with adventurous children and teenagers
Small private groups
Culinary-focused journeys through Colombia
Guests interested in regional traditions and storytelling
Travelers who enjoy participating rather than simply observing
How We Use This in Our Itineraries
We often place this experience after guests have spent time wandering Barichara's streets or walking the surrounding countryside.
Instead of another landmark or viewpoint, the afternoon unfolds around a communal table where conversation becomes just as important as the food itself.
The workshop pairs naturally with longer stays in Barichara and fits beautifully within broader culinary journeys across Colombia, where each destination introduces guests to the people preserving its food traditions.
As part of the Nicholas Gill x WhereNext Collection, it also fits within a portfolio of culinary experiences across Colombia and Peru that connect travelers with the people and traditions shaping each region's food culture.
For families, it often becomes one of the most talked-about moments of the trip.
Planning Notes
Duration: Approximately 2 hours
Best Time: Afternoon
Physical Level: Easy
Best For: FIT travelers, families, private groups, culinary enthusiasts, media
Works Well With: Barichara walking experiences, local artisan visits, coffee experiences, and broader gastronomy-focused itineraries through Colombia
Seasonality: Available year-round, with seasonal opportunities to harvest ants in nearby fields when conditions allow
Special Notes: Guests are never expected to taste every preparation. Dietary preferences and comfort levels are always respected.
Every ant is carefully prepped before it reaches the pan.
Bowl of fancy ants.
Portrait of Margarita Higuera.
Field Note
Nobody in Santander wakes up wondering how to shock visitors with a plate of ants.
They cook them because that's what people here have always done.
We were scouting Barichara for new culinary experiences, and a friend of a friend of an owner of a restaurant slid us Margarita’s WhatsApp number.
Our group arrived with plenty of jokes and more than a little skepticism. Nobody wanted to be the first person to reach into the bowl.
By the end of the workshop, the vibe had shifted completely. People were comparing roasting stages, discussing seasoning, and laughing about how different each tasting had become.
The biggest surprise came a few days later.
The most hesitant member of the group arranged another workshop so she could bring her children.
After her first nervous bite and the final tasting, the story had stopped being about ants.
It had become something she wanted to share.
Designed by WhereNext Travel with Margarita Higuera
This experience was developed through our relationship with Margarita Higuera and is part of the Nicholas Gill x WhereNext Collection, a growing portfolio of culinary experiences across Colombia and Peru created in collaboration with award-winning food writer Nicholas Gill.
Rather than presenting hormigas culonas as a novelty, the experience places guests inside a living food tradition through fun, participation, and careful storytelling.
