Colombia is plagued with street food vendors and Bogota is not an exception. In Bogota you can find food everywhere and the favorite food of the Rolos (how people from Bogota are called) is the food that is found on the go. This food is delicious and usually very cheap. To give you an idea, you can buy something to eat on the street for less than 0.50 USD. Another city from Colombia where street food is king is Cartagena. If you visit Cartagena we recommend you to book a tour with Food Tour Cartagena.
Here are the most popular street foods in Bogota:
Street foods in Bogota
1. Arepa
Arepas are a kind of pita bread made from corn flour. This main ingredient gives it the characteristic flavor of the arepa. The arepa can be eaten as a bread but it is more common to make a sandwich with it. Inside the arepa people put whatever they like, such as cheese, scrambled eggs, sausages, avocado or everything. In the streets of Bogota you can easily find grilled arepas with cheese, they are delicious.
2. Empanada
Unlike the empanadas from other nationalities, the empanadas from Bogota are made of corn flour and fried in a lot of oil. This technique makes the empanada crispy. The filling of the empanadas is usually cheese, meat, chicken, among other ingredients that undoubtedly combine perfectly within an empanada. This food is one of the cheapest you can get on the streets of Bogota.
3. Fritanga
Fritanga are different ingredients cooked on the grill. This variety of food is usually made up of black pudding, chorizo, pork rinds, etc. All of this is grilled and served on a big plate with a spicy or non-spicy cream. This dish is delicious, but you have to be careful where you buy it to avoid stomach pains due to precarious hygiene measures.
4. Roasted corn
Roasted corn is a classic street food in Bogota. As you have already realized through this article, Colombians love corn and use it in all possible ways, for example in flour, like in the case of arepas and empanadas or simply roasted with some sauce.
5. Mango biche
It is very common in Bogota to see small walking shops that sell mango pieces in a small transparent plastic bag or container. For many people it is a delicacy and they eat it with lemon juice and salt. The texture of the green mango is hard but it combines perfectly with salt and the sour flavor of the lime juice. This food sounds very strange but you have to give it a try.