Thursday, April 14, 2022

Bogota, Colombia


Bogota is a bustling large metropolitan area, but I find there are always many little gems hidden within a large city.


As usual, I found my way to the farmers market. It was an expansive covered area. I strolled around slowly and was most intrigued by the many fruits that would be uncommon or quite expensive in the United States, but seemed unremarkable to these vendors. I also spotted several varieties of fruits that I either had never seen, like the lulo (a small type of citrus fruit), or had not seen various types of the same fruit. For example, it seemed that they had multiple types of mangos and passionfruit. 

Driving outside of the urban area, I saw a large open oven with fish affixed on upright skewers receiving an open air smoking.


I pulled over to the side of the road to take a closer look. After smelling the alluring scent of the smoke close at hand, I purchased a fish to taste if for myself. It was delicious and a site I did not expect to see! 


An authentic meal that I experienced in a family home was the highly popular and frequently eaten dish of potato soup. I learned that Colombia has a wide array of potato varieties unfamiliar to me and they create this soup using a combination of different potatoes, boiled in water.



One very memorable stop for food was watching a fresh arepa being made, cooked, and immediately served to me. I watched and waited for a fresh arepa to come out of the oven that is pictured above. This is most definitely the best one I have ever eaten. It had a thin firm crust on the outside and a creamy soft interior. It was addicting and whenever someone refers to an arepa, this is now what I picture!



The final food experience that I will share was at a highly popular seafood restaurant, La Poche Pescadaria, known to be one of the best in the city. I was told that even famous individuals are known for stopping to eat here. I tried a seafood soup with crab and lobster that was served in a deeply flavorful spicy broth! I also tried Bagre, a popular local fish. 

Memories of Bogota are filled with seeing and trying a variety of foods that were unknown to me, which is one of my favorite things to do! I enjoyed learning the variety of foods typical of Colombia, finding out that it was so much more than I anticipated.



 

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