Recently a co worker told me she was planning a trip to Bogota and when I got home from work that day all I could do was make mental lists of musts in this fun city. I am constantly praising my home city of Bogota when talking to others. Any time someone asks where they should travel to I always throw Colombia into the mix, and a visit to this amazing bio diverse country isn’t complete without spending some time in its vibrant capital.

What foods to try? What are the best party places? What tourism attractions and tours are a must? I will share all of this and more and hopefully you wont be able to resist but to make Bogota one of your next destinations.

Being the largest city in Colombia, Bogota has a plethora of  international  food options, but be sure to try some of our typical foods also. Your taste buds will not be disappointed.

For the carnivores

Tamales- there are different types of tamales depending on the region of Colombia you are in but my favorite, is from Tolima. It is made of yellow cornmeal filled with pork belly, pork ribs, chicken, egg, and a few veggies all wrapped in a plantain leaf. Many of us eat this for breakfast with some hot chocolate and an arepa(see below)

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Lechona- Roast pig stuffed with peas, onions and rice. Don’t forget to get a piece of the crispy skin and this is also usually eaten with an arepa.

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Ajiaco- a delicious soup with chicken and three different types of potato, and an herb called guascas.

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Morcilla- Known as a blood sausage in English. Don’t be deterred by that translation it is AMAZINGLY TASTY. A sausage filled with rice,peas, cilantro, and ofcourse with blood. Just try it!

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Chicharron-Deep fried pig skin. It is deep fried, need I say more?

Arepa- Finally the arepa, the perfect side to so many dishes in Colombia. An arepa is sort of like an unsweet not as soft corn or flour pancake. You can eat them plain, with butter, cheese, or you can get fancy and cook a fried egg into it.

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For the Vegans and Vegetarians

I did not forget about you. One of my favorite parts of going back home are the variety of fruits. So many delicious exotic fruits in Colombia that just aren’t found in the U.S.

Here are just a few;
Feijoa, Granadilla, Tomate de arbol(Tree tomato), Uchuvas

My favorite fruit juices;
Guanabana, Lulo, Mora(blackberry), Maracuya(passion fruit)

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The Bread Lovers

Try fresh warm almojabanas(cheese bread), pandebono(another cheese bread), and bunuelos(fried ball of dough)

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Street foods

Obleas- They are round thin wafers with caramel spread some people add marmalade and even cheese or condensed milk. How adventurous will you be with your oblea?
Hot dogs- Yes, I know hot dogs are all over the place but these hot dogs are stuffed and overflowing with toppings like chips, pineapple, and different sauces

Empanadas- Empanadas can be found in many different countries but of course in my eyes none is better than the Colombian. Fried cornmeal stuffed with rice, a meat(chicken or beef), potatoes,egg, and peas. Top it with a squeeze of lemon or some aji(fresh made spicy sauce) and your belly will thank you.

The alcoholic beverages, which I am sure you will all partake in responsibly 😉

Aguardiente(Guaro)- The alcohol content is over 25%. It is made from sugar cane and with the strong taste of anise. No Colombian party is complete without a bottle of guaro

Canelazo- You might see this being sold by street vendors at night. Canelazo is sugar cane water with lime juice and a splash of aguardiente,nice to keep you warm during a cool city night.
Beers- For the beer lovers here are a few of ours;

Club Colombia, Auguila, Poker

And finally,  you can’t go to Colombia and forget to try our world renown coffee

So this completes my list of must try foods in Bogota. If this isn’tenough of a list to convince you to visit check out Best of Bogota Part 2 for a list of things to do when you aren’t eating