Stories and memories from my time living in Bogotá, Colombia during my year of service in the Benedictine Volunteer Corps of St. John's Abbey.
Colombian Food
A night out with teachers led us to a bar named Club Lukas where we enjoyed this for a whopping price of $30.000 ($10!)Chicha, a famous, homemade drink in the region. Mix in a little beer and drink it out of the large nut shells to do it right.A cheap, typical breakfast when on the move. Buy a stick of salchon (summer sausage) and a bag full of rolls. One of the most enjoyable breakfasts yet.Cherimoya – pull this green pine cone-looking fruit apart and eat the white flesh. Spit out the big black seeds when done.
Granadilla – hard shell that needs to be pulled apart to get at the fruit
No chewing is required with this fruit, only sucks on the seeds and then swallow them once you have gotten all the flavor.
Ajiaco – traditional soup with chicken, potatoes, corn, rice, avocado, capers, and cream
Zapote - a very subtle fruit, not super sweet with a different flavor from the rest. Maybe if carrots were more of a fruit, this would have the flavor. To eat it, you just need to tear off the skin and suck on the large seeds hidden in the fibrous flesh.
Mangostino - has a sweet taste with a rose-y flavor. Simply peel apart the shell to eat the white fruits.
Home grown oranges, picked from the tree on night. Good flavor because they were much more sour than normal.Fruit parfait with granilla, mango, apples, strawberries, and maybe other mixed in with different ice creams
Maracumango ice cream desert (maracuya and mango together)
Bandeja Paisa from a Bogotá restaurant
Bandeja paisa at a home in Santander
Areppas, papas, steak, chorizo, and blood rice with limonadaRestaurant steak meal with a Club Colombia.Caldo soup (milk, onion, salt, water, bread chunks) and areppas santanderiano.Guarapo, one of two famous home brews here. Solely sugar and water that are left to ferment for 5 days or more.
Maracuya, very sour fruit. Eat the seeds and pulp. 9/10
Mamoncillo, looks like a little lime. To get at fruit, you bite down on the outside or break skin with finger and it pops off. My favorite so far, 10/10
These are like mini plums, taste about the same. 7/10
Colombians make the best hot chocolate you have ever had. It is made for breakfast, and sometimes for snack breaks at San Benito. It’s so goooooooood!The Choriperro, a chorizo hot dog. Easily the best street food in our area. Toppings are numerous and varied, my favorite is guacamole with a spicy salsa and some pineapple.And of course, I am drinking coffee. This is the brand they served in San Gil at Gallineral Park.Stuffed arepas, some are standard with meat, cheese, and sauce – these were to the extremeSalpicon – like fruit punchDulce de Coco – a very sweet, coconut treatPicada, different types of sausages with fried potatoes and plantains. Served family style and devoured with toothpicksSome of the best hamburgers in the world are about a 7 minute walk from the monasterySan Carlos school lunch, took about a month to stretch out the stomach to fit all the food they give. Now I get hungry about 90 minutes after eating all this food. Still not gaining weight thoughWhen there’s no time to make a real cup, this does the job wellBocadillo – like a jelly bar but more delectable. From guayaba, used by many athletes as a great energy sourceBest fish in the world is found in San Cipriano
Tamal – a staple for Sunday breakfast here. Masa (corn dough) with chicken and other veggies, boiled
Trout from Lago de Tota – delicious Fresh juices are about all they have here, nothing from concentrateMondongo – basically intestine and stomach soup. Some love it, I wasn’t the biggest fan. Too chewyDeserts from Iza, a city in Boyaca known for having great deserts. Everyone around the city plaza sells desertsMerengón – a mix of fruits, cream, and merenguieTypical plate lunch at a family style event – this one from San Benito 40th birthdayPretty insignificant to many, but this is basically Fresca – the pop that reminds me of all the summer with grandma. Good for the times that life gets tiring here
Texture of tomato with a sour taste – 7/10
Known by moms as a way to clear their children of a backed-up digestive track. A sweet, simple, watery flavor – 6-10
A Journal of my Adventures in Colombia 