I have an utter fascination with Colombia, pure captivation by a place I have never met. Somewhere there is a future version of myself sitting on the side of a dirt road, enjoying a hearty bowl of Ajiaco and black coffee. Most likely there will be a stray dog sleeping at my feet, while I swoon over ajiaco soup and stare off into a coffee plantation.
Here’s the thing, Colombia is not just one thing. It’s a multifaceted country where one minute you can be lost in The Amazon rainforest and the next you can be climbing a mountain top. You can be catching a Pacific wave, only to then jump on a chicken bus, and be walking the colorful streets by sun down. I fear that one moment with Colombia would have rethinking everything I thought I knew. One minute with Colombia, and I’d be buying a motorbike and daring myself to stay forever.
Ajiaco Toppings
One grave mistake you will make, is skipping a single one of the ajiaco toppings. You see, these ingredients work cohesively together like a well oiled machine. Ajiaco is single handedly the only saving grace capers have in my opinion. This dish has the divine ability to have a CAPER HATER like me, waving a white flag. This dish gracefully glides from a soup to an experience, with toppings like corn on the cob, taunting you to dive in head first.
- Corn on the Cob
- Avocado Slices
- Fresh Cilantro
- Capers
- Plant Based Sour Cream
- Lime Wedge
Guasca
This herb is essential to the proper making of a ajiaco soup, but lets be honest, I have made it one than once with oregano and it’s still the bomb. There is nothing I love more than a good old fashion scavenger hunt for ingredients. In fact, if you’ve been following my instagram, you’ll know that I LOVE picking unknown objects at the supermarket to cook with. I think that must be one of my simple joys in life, it’s funny how they change over time. Once upon a time, you couldn’t convince me to buy a house or stay in the same place more than 2 years. As time goes on, I have found so much joy in the everyday mundane things. Like the simple search for a jar of guasca.
To find a bag (yes, a bag… not a spice jar) of guasca, you’ll have to make your way to a specialty store. If you’re uber prepared, I’m sure you can also buy it online. Don’t waste your time looking at the western supermarket or even Nino Salvaggio’s, you’re going to need a latin grocery store. This herb is so distinct, and a major component to Colombian cooking. It has a lime like aroma, or some people compare it to having an artichoke taste.
“Don’t get me wrong: problems, serious problems, remain, which is particularly heartbreaking in a country so beautiful, so generous, so proud, so eager to love and be loved back. I come back to my own country from a country like Colombia, and I think: if they can fix that, if they can make things better, then surely there’s nothing we can’t do.” -Anthony Bourdain
