Romancing Colombia, Summer 2019

Llama rides in the urbanized Andes.

On our first full day, we took a walking food tour and were introduced to all the local flavors one would expect. Yes, we tried the hot chocolate with cheese (better than I expected). Ajiaco, a starchy soup of yucca, corn, aromatics and more, was revealed by our guide to have Hebraic origins. We sat down at Santa Fe Cafe & Restaurante, a fancy place, to sample their artisanal preparation (sample being a term loosely applied). It’s broth coats the mouth with a warming grip. Only a few spoonfuls and one understands why it is recommended for the visitor with altitude sickness. The generous nature of this dish seems to have worn off on the country’s tamales, which are overly stuffed with chicken on the bone, root vegetables and squash. Though we tried both dishes at the one place in Candelaria where all the tourists are told to go, my earnest opinion is that you will enjoy better eats at La Puerta de la Catedral just a few doors down.

Fancy or not, Ajiaco is filling and great.

In keeping with the normal tourist activities, we hired a car and guide for a short excursion to the Nemocón Salt Mine and the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira. Impressive feats of labor? Yes. Magical monuments of geology? Of course. But what I enjoyed the most was the view out the car window as we passed villages, schools, farms and open space on this high Andes plateau. We were lucky trafficwise, though every once in a while a horse and cart occupied the lane ahead. 

San Francisco blesses explorers venturing to the briny depths of the Abra Valley.

The restaurant scene across Bogotá has been shifting focus toward high end, chef-driven experiences. We were fortunate enough to try a few gastronomic destinations, my favorite being El Cielo. Chef Juan Manuel Barriento’s approach is like a lot of tasting menus, however they came up with something so unique, I think it’s going to be hard for others to top. The name of the preparation is Chocolaterapia, and the obvious element is chocolate. What isn’t obvious is that the dish, if you want to call it that, is a hand washing ritual. The chef offers diners the experience of washing their hands in chocolate. There are a few more details to this, like the introduction of coconut and sweet stuff. Yes, I licked some of it off my fingers before rinsing. After the rinsing your hands smell like chocolate, the most perfectly refined chocolate you could imagine. The only downside of this dish is that all others pale in comparison. El Cielo gifted us each a bag of Colombian coffee with the check. I swear the scent of my chocolatey hand still lingers on that bag.

The Paloquemao is your best bet for a Colombian market adventure.

As the capital city, Bogotá’s markets benefit from access to all regions of the country’s harvests and supplies. There are several fresh markets to explore, the most prominent of which is the Paloquemao. Again we hired a guide and if asked for advice I would recommend others do the same. Colombia’s guides are in a special class of quality, their approach rooted in pedagogy, and they excel at translating culture to the curious. Paloquemao is a beautiful and inviting market- get there early in the morning to see the flower vendors outside.

The tropical cousin of Colombia’s national bird, the Andean Condor, is the ubiquitous Black Vulture.

Stepping off the plane in Cartagena’s airport is a sticky and sweaty thing. In that moment I was glad to have had as much of the crisp mountain weather as we did. The faces of other travelers belied the challenge of enduring tropical humidity, on the other hand the palm trees looked pretty happy.

Uchuva, also known as Golden Berry or Gooseberry, is a tart treat wrapped in a husk like a tomatillo.

Before we left the Athens of the Andes I enjoyed as many uchuva from the hotel’s buffet breakfast as appropriate, unsure if the fruit would be found closer to sea level. It came to be the food I enjoyed most in Bogotá, no question.

Market touring pair that we are, I booked a guide to take us around the Bazurto Market. Located a few kilometers outside the colonial center, this market was a very different place than Paloquemao. The volume of food preparation greatly increased. Long alleys of fish fryers, soup kitchens and roasters all heating their cookware over open pit wood fires dressed the corridors with wispy bands of ash. I craved uchuva, and it took almost an hour to find that punchy golden berry. It wasn’t the same quality as the produce in the higher elevations, though I was satisfied nonetheless.

The onslaught of condo towers kept at bay by Bautista’s design.

Walking tours in Cartagena, even those involving food, are a grinder. The place is just so hot! Oh, and the mosquitoes aren’t great either, so arm yourself with deet. The benefit of enduring those matters is a charming old city presented like a children’s pop-up book. True, many of the buildings are only decades old, however they effectively tell the story of the port from centuries past. The old fortress walls, punctuated by sentry booths and still crumbling stucco, provide defense today from the danger of commercial developers.

Upon the old city walls, crowds gather before dusk to watch for the sunset. A popular view can be found at Café del Mar, whose mojitos March out from the bar like gold laden Galleons during the heyday of Spanish Empire. It’s a timeless scene, despite the blasting of reggaeton. In the tangerine glow of another day’s end, we embraced the romance that has kept Cartagena so popular.

The foam art doesn’t last long…

Colombia is a country with coffee expectations. Every coffee drinker has their own preferences, be those brew types, roast levels, hot or iced. I believe there is another preference: collar color. Put another way, those that like their cup of Joe regular and down to earth, and those that prefer their Java artisanal/craft/elevated. Colombia’s panoply of cafe’s cover all preferences. Surprisingly, I think the best options are found at the nearest Juan Valdez store. Proudly fronted by the illustration printed on cans sold by Costco, the Juan Valdez stores approach coffee with sincerity in every way possible. During the course of this trip, I tried cold brews, lattes and pour over options and was impressed by each beverage. Some years ago, JV established locations in the US and I didn’t find the same joy at those satellites, not for lack of effort, it must be the national pride which makes these Colombian outposts so good.

Between the tropical coast and the urbanized mountains, I definitely found a favorite. And considering just how much I enjoyed the Colombian Andes, I’m probably going to visit Medellin next time.

Greg Tulloss is a contributing writer and artist.