During the holiday season, some of the important streets of downtown Bogota are closed to traffic every night inviting people to walk and enjoy the christmas lighting.
On Saturday, my mom and I decided to go out and explore the festivals out there. I always loved walking around the old part of the city. Amongst the many street foods that can be enjoyed, one of my favorite is herbal tea.
This is not your regular cup of tea. It’s a delicious concoction that develops flavor after hours of simmering in a giant pot. Each vendor has a unique formula that always includes herbs and fruits. After asking several of them I had a general idea of the ingredients.
On the herbs side, there’re mint, lemongrass, lemon balm, and basil. Now, on the fruits, there’s more room to improvise, but I noticed that acid fruits are favored: strawberries, sour apples, passion fruit, pineapple, lime, and papayuela — a small hawaian-papaya-looking fruit that is only eaten cooked and makes a wonderful preserve — are all good candidates. Your tea is finished with honey and lime juice.
We stopped in the middle of tons of people and enjoyed a delicious sweet and sour “aromatica.” It made me warm and also reminded me of the magic and importance of simplicity…
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