Food and culture go hand in hand, which is why food tours and cooking classes provide a unique window into a destination’s past and present. So, my second free day roaming Bogota, I booked this food tour. 

Not only do you get to try a curated lineup of the country’s best dishes, but you’ll have a guide with you that provides context. During my tour, Marcela guided us through six restaurants. While Colombia lacks a typical food that’s indicative of its full culture (well, maybe arepas would qualify)*, each of it’s regions has their own specialty dish.

*Arepas are stuffed cornmeal cakes that are crispy outside and fluffy inside. You can stuff them with ingredients like meat, eggs, beans, pumpkin, cheese, and more.

Each restaurant represented a dish from one of the five regions of Colombia; Andean, Amazon,  Caribbean, Pacific, and Orinoco.

Major cities in this region: Bogota, Medellin, Tunja

Given that this region encompasses the two most populous cities in Colombia, it required two stops to highlight the cuisine.

Setting itself apart from its con husked Mexican counterparts, Colombian tamales are prepared with rice, chicken, pork and grains and served wrapped in plantain leaves.

A Bogota staple, ajiaco is a soup dish made with chicken breast, three different types of potato (Savanna, Pasto and Creole), and guascas (this herb provides the soup with its characteristic flavor). Cream, capers, and avocado are added at the table. 

Cities in this region: Leticia

With two regions dedicated to the ocean, it’s a surprise that our seafood dish is instead coming from the Amazon region.  Mapará is a fish found in the Amazon, typically stewed in tumuli (a sauce made with fermented yuca juices). Our fish was served with a Caribbean coconut rice, prepared with coconut milk and sweetened with panela and sugar.

Major cities in this region: Cartagena, Santa Marta, Barranquilla

Yuca bolitas is a tasty appetizer of fried creamy yuca balls with crispy skin and mozzarella cheese filling. This can be topped with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, or other sauces for a perfect start to a meal.

Cities in this region: Villavicencio

Colombia’s frontier; home to cowboys, folk music, and cattle. So it’s no surprise that this regions specialty is beef.  Here it’s worth it to try mamona a la loaner or veal. This meat is strung on 2-meter sticks vertically and roasted on a small wood fire.

Cities in this region: Cali, Buenaventura, Las Lajas Sanctuary (not a city, but a site to see) 

The majority of the Afro-Colombian population lives in the Pacific region leaving many of it’s food to have a heavy African influence. As is the case with a Pacific region specialty, fufu. This particular version is a fried ball that has a sweet cassava dough outer, plantain layer, and melted cheese center.

Now you have an idea of what to try in each region of Colombia, even better, you can try all of these dishes in the capital city.  And while you can create a self-guided tour of food, I definitely recommend finding a proper tour so that you can ask questions and learn the culture while enjoying good eats.