In Bogotá people usually take three meals: breakfast served in restaurants and cafeterias up to 9:00 or 10:00 a.m.; lunch between 12:00 m. and 3:00 p.m., and dinner at night up to 11:00 p.m. for most restaurants. Some people also take light snacks “medias nueves” between breakfast and lunch “onces” around mid afternoon.

Some traditional “santafereña” places are: La Puerta Falsa, located on calle 11 a few steps away from carrera 7th, offering chocolate with cheese and “almojábanas”, “aguadepanela” (hot beverage made of “panela” a sort of brown sugar or unrefined sugar) with cheese, “tamales”, scrambled eggs casserole or «pericos» as we call them here, desserts, milk candy and other traditional delicacies all hours of the day; La Florida, at carrera 7th and calle 21, serves Santafereño chocolate, and Yanuba, restaurant and tea room at calle 122 and 23. Las Margaritas restaurant is located in Chapinero, and they offer delicious “empanadas” and typical old city dishes. Equally appreciated are desserts from Barrios Unidos and Restrepo neighborhood and International Center fisheries.

Ajiaco Delightful soup from the Cundiboyacense plains. Prepared with chicken, creole potatoes, sabana potatoes, Pasto potatoes, corn and “guascas” (aromatic herb). Served with capers, thick milk cream, avocado and rice on the side each persons takes at their pleasure. Fritanga (charcoal broiled meats) A dish consisting of different meats: cow, pork, sausage, tripe, “longaniza” (different sausage type) black pudding, udder, heart and creole potatoes, ripe plantain and griddle cake. Mazamorra Chiquita A soup prepared with cow ribs, tripe, meat from the lower cow thigh, long onions, green peas, lima beans, carrots, Pasto potatoes, creole potatoes, corn flour, garlic, pepper and cumin. Accompanied of white rice. Puchero Santafereño Bogotá origin dish prepared with meats, Sabana potatoes, Pasto potatoes, yucca, plantain and sweet corn. Bathed with hot “hogao” and decorated with cabbage leafs. Sancocho de Gallina Soup eaten over all regions of the country, prepared with hen, potatoes, yucca and plantain. Served with white rice. Sobrebarriga con papas chorriadas Tasty meat of the fibrous type recovered with a layer of grease for delicious taste. Served accompanied of “chorriadas” potatoes bathed with “hogao” prepared with long onions, garlic tomatoes and spices. Tamal with Chocolate Tamal is corn dough stuffed with meat, chicken, longaniza, pork ribs, chicken peas, long onion, salt garlic and spices. Wrapped in banana leafs tied with a cord and steam cooked. Preparation varies depending on the different regions of the country. In Bogotá tamales are usually accompanied of hot chocolate.

Obleas. Two circular and very thin baked slices filled with arequipe. Cuajada con Melao. Fresh cheese bathed with brown sugar caramel. Milk rice and “postre de natas” are two other typical Bogotá desserts. Figs and arequipe. Figs cooked and candied filled with arequipe.    Arequipe is candy prepared with milk and sugar. Syrup candy: fruit such as uchuva, black berries, feijoa, fig, lemon and papayuela conserved in syrup. Preparation consists in cooking the fruit in some water and sufficient sugar for syrup to impregnate the fruit. Cocadas. Prepared with grinded coconut and panela syrup. Marquesas: a potion of guanábana or arequipe candy wrapped in sugar.

Fruit juices Most common fruits, growing in cold weather, are curuba, strawberries, blackberries and feijoa. However, since produces from all climates are found in Bogotá, warm climate fruit juices are also prepared. Fruit juices and salads are very common and served in cafeterias, ice cream parlors and informal restaurants. Masato is a fresh beverage prepared with rice, sugar, clove and cinnamon. Liquor beverages Aguardiente, typical liquor in several Colombian territory regions. Prepared with sugar cane alcohol and anise concentrate. A dry liquor drank straight and unblended usually accompanied of fruit slices. Rum is also produced in Caldas, Santafé, Medellín and Tres Esquinas at the Caribbean Coast. Canelazo is a hot drink prepared with aguadepanela, cinnamon and aguardiente. Drank from clay pots or thick glass cups with the borders sprinkled with sugar. Used in certain gatherings to welcome invitees. Chicha, of indigenous origin is prepared from fermented corn, and has been the traditional popular classes drink. Although displaced by beer, you may still drink it in La Perseverancia neighborhoods –where the Maíz, Chicha and Dicha (Corn, Chicha and Joy) festival takes place – and also in Egipto neighborhood.