5 FOODS YOU MUST HAVE IN BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA
5 Foods you have to eat in Bogotá, Colombia:
When people are traveling, the best recommendation a travel
expert can give, is to have local food. That way, by tasting the flavors that
locals eat, the travelers can better perceive the culture and get further understanding
of the people.
At Bogotá, Colombia, you have to go for this exquisite
dishes, recommended by generations of bogotanos and tested positively, by many
foreigners.
These are my top 5 foods for Bogotá, and a bonus:
1-) AJIACO
The ajiaco is a chicken and three kinds of native potatoes,
(sabanera, pastusa criolla) soup, that is just a chicken and potatoes soup until
a miracle happens.
That miracle grows in the Sabana, the extended plain
up in the Andes mountains at 2.640 meters above sea level ( 8.661 ft) where
Bogotá is located.
The secret herb that makes the soup an ajiaco is the
Guasca, it radically changes the flavor of the mixed potatoes and chicken soup,
making it a dish by itself with a personality that can define Bogotá.
It is a food that comes from the tribe of the chibchas,
and was adopted by the Spanish conquistadores who added the European touch.
The ajiaco is served with shredded chicken, corn on
the cobb, aguacate (avocado), and the Spanish touch, which are the crapers and
a topping of heavy whipped cream.
It is delicious; I have had many ajiacos in my life,
and I have presented the dish to many people from all around the world, and
never, anyone has said to me they dislike the ajiaco, everybody loves it.
So go, with no doubt for the Ajiaco Santafereño, at a
good restaurant though; I recommend Casavieja, http://casavieja.com.co/ , or at a house,
that keeps the tradition, also at fine hotels they prepare the dish, in a very classical
way.
2-) Fritanga:
The fritanga is essential for bogotanos. We love to
have a big picada on a weekend with family and friends. Fritanga, is an all fry,
mix of different cuts of pork meat, and many kinds of sausages like morcilla
(blood sausage), chorizo and longaniza. It goes with papa criolla, a Colombian yellow
potatoe that is also base for the other featured dish, the Ajiaco. There is
also platano maduro, guacamole, and obviously a strong and hot homemade ají.
You have to go to the piqueteaderos to have the best
fritanga. I recommend Donde Manuel, http://dondemanuel.co/
or at Doña Segunda, located in the northeast corner of the plaza de Mercado of
the 12 de octubre.
Also if you go
to the countryside there are many fritanga spots along the way. Don’t expect to
find fritanga at fancy restaurants except for some like, Club Colombia, however
it is better to do fritanga at the piqueteaderos.
To drink, ask for the Refajo a bubbling cold
intercourse between beer and colombiana, the national soft drink. It is good,
and marries perfectly with the fritanga.
3-) Postre de Natas:
The postre de natas is a sweet discovery that will
encourage you to give another thought to what to do, with the double skin milk
that you may throw, when you heat the milk. The Postre de Natas is a, Double
Skin Milk Dessert, It is creamy and not too sweet. I like it and recommend it
because is good and everybody likes it.
You can get Postre de Natas at almost every restaurant,
also at supermarkets and some stores.
4-) Lechona:
Well, some purist are not going to like this dish to
be included in this list, as lechona is not from Bogotá. It is from a region
nearby called departamento de Tolima. But let me tell you, this stuffed and
oven roasted pig is a hit. You are going to taste an exquisite form of cooking
the pork.
If you go to a fútbol (soccer) game at the El Campín
Stadium, home of Millonarios and Santafe you can have lechona at the halftime
or you can go to the Lechonarium (as I call it) in the Avenida caracas between
27 south and 29 south, where you will find many good Lechoneros that will
delight you. In many parts of the city you can find Lechonerías and there is a
good lechona by the pound, at supermarkets like Carulla or Exito.
5-) Tamal:
The tamal is essential in Bogotános diet. The
weekends, specially Sunday, there is a tradition that comes from long time, to
have tamal for breakfast. It is spiced corn dough, stuffed with chicken, pork,
bacon carrot and peas, that are comprised into a plantains leave and cooked by
steam.
Please, do not eat the leave that contains the prize
(the tamal itself), it might sound like a joke, but there are some foreigners
that have done it because no one told them.
The tamales in Bogotá are everywhere, from the neighborhood
bakeries, to the restaurants and supermarkets. But if you want the traditional
ones you will have to go to La Puerta Falsa in downtown
http://www.restaurantelapuertafalsa.inf.travel/cms/templates/preview/411/25/location
or to Las Margaritas at Chapinero. https://www.tripadvisor.co/Restaurant_Review-g294074-d6651849-Reviews-Restaurante_Las_Margaritas-Bogota.html
Bonus track:
As a bonus. Go for a different breakfast, do it with Changua,
is a broth made only with water, milk, salt, cilantro, chives, also 2 opened eggs
that cook into the changua and almojabana pieces or calado crumbles are added at the end.
You can get changua at most of the bakeries, also at
fine hotels in the breakfast buffet. Most people likes it.
You can do also the GPS Audiotours of Bogotá. Download the tours for just $2.99 at the App Sore or Google Play.
If you liked my blog share it, follow me and come for more.
Remember that travelling makes you a better person.
Néstor Meléndez Soler
nmelendez.vmg@gmail.com
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