city Essentials · 9 foods
Bogotá Essentials
A considered first route through Bogotá: the foods that carry its everyday habits, celebrations, ingredients, and memory.
Explore all Colombia foods →THE
ESSENTIALS
The complete shortlist
9 foods to know.
Each selection includes the reason it belongs here—so this is a guide, not just a pile of names.
Bogotá, Colombia
Ajiaco Santafereño
The capital's guasca-scented chicken and potato soup, served with cream, capers and avocado on the side.
Bogotá, Colombia
Changua
Milk soup with poached eggs, scallions and torn bread — the cold-Altiplano breakfast.
Bogotá, Colombia
Chocolate Santafereño
Thick hot chocolate with cheese dropped in to melt, dunked with almojábana at old-centre cafés.
Bogotá, Colombia
Tamales Bogotanos
Large banana-leaf tamal with pork, chicken and chickpeas, the Sunday-morning pairing for chocolate.
Bogotá, Colombia
Caldo de Costilla
Beef-rib broth with potato and cilantro, the legendary morning-after cure served with bread.
Bogotá, Colombia
Arepa Rellena
Fried arepa split and stuffed with cheese or meat, a Bogotá street-cart staple.
Bogotá, Colombia
Chuzo
The city's loaded street skewer of meats, sausage, potato and arepa under pink and garlic sauces.
Bogotá, Colombia
Mazorca Desgranada
Cup of corn kernels dressed with butter, cheese and hogao, sold from plaza carts.
Bogotá, Colombia
Postre de Natas
Milk-skin layers folded through syrup with raisins — the labour-intensive Lenten dessert of the sabana.