Ajiaco Bogotano (Colombia)
December 27, 2006 by Andrea 
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Filed under Poultry, Soups & Stews
For me this is the ultimate comfort food, and it’s also my favorite food from my years overseas. It’s a great weekend soup, but it’s also a celebration meal for the Bogotanos who often make very large pots of this soup for festive occasions such as Christmas. They typically serve the soup in black bowls just like the one in the photo, sitting in a basket because the bowls are rounded, not flat, on the bottom. Sides include rice, capers, and avocado. I’ve missed the wonderful ajiacos I enjoyed in Bogotá, so this year I wanted to have it as part of our Christmas celebration.
There are several versions of ajiaco in Hispanic culture. Ajiaco Bogotano has chicken, three different kinds of potatoes, corn on the cob, and the herb guascas. The potatoes are papas criollas, sabaneras, and tocarreñas, or yellow, red, and white potatoes respectively. Of the three, the papas criollas are the most important for this soup. They are tiny yellow wild potatoes that grow at high elevations, and they break up and dissolve almost completely as the soup cooks, thus infusing the soup with a wonderful richness. I’ve found two online merchants that sell jars of papas criollas, which will do in a pinch (see the Resources below).
Guascas (Galinsoga parviflora) grows in areas with a reasonably moist warm season. In North America it is known as the weed Gallant Soldier, and apparently it’s pretty invasive so I don’t plan to grow any in my garden; however, if you know how to identify it you may find a treasure trove locally. Just be careful that it hasn’t been sprayed with any toxic weed killers; otherwise, check out the online sources mentioned below.
The corn on the cob, or mazorca, used in Colombia is different from the typical sweet corn you find in the U.S. The kernels are larger and a bit tougher, which means that you have to cook them almost from the beginning to tenderize them. Since sweet corn is already tender, you simply add it during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
The garnishes are all available at many local grocery stores, although you’ll want to be sure to use Crema Mexicana rather than regular heavy cream. It’s a combination of sour cream and heavy cream, and the dollops sit very nicely on top of the soup. You can also make your own Crema Mexicana, but plan ahead as it takes about 24 hours before it’s ready.
I have made my best attempt to approximate the wonderfully rich soup that I remember from Bogotá, but I would certainly love to find some fresh, not canned, papas criollas. If you know where I can get some fresh papas criollas in the U.S., please share the information in the Comments. That would make my year!
The soup tastes best when it has cooked for at least 4 hours, so start peeling those potatoes early and allow plenty of time to simmer. You can freeze this in 32-ounce containers.
[Updated: September 13, 2008]
Equipment
12 to 16 quart stock pot
potato peeler
Ingredients
3 pounds (~1.3 kilos) chicken breast, on the bone with skin (or 1 whole chicken, cut into parts)
6 quarts (~6 liters) water
3 pounds (~1.3 kilos) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
6 pounds (~2.7 kilos) new red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 pounds (~1.3 kilos) papas criollas (in the U.S. use Dutch Creamer, Baby Dutch Yellow, Yukon Gold, or Yellow Finn potatoes), cut into 1-inch chunks
4 ears corn on the cob (fresh or frozen), cut into 3-inch pieces
2 handfuls of quascas, about 2 ounces
SERVE WITH
cilantro leaves
Crema Mexicana (or regular heavy cream if you can’t find the other)
capers
avocados, sliced
cooked rice
Preparation
1. Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a large stock pot, sprinkle with a handful of guascas, and add water. Bring to a boil and cook until the meat is tender. Remove chicken and set aside. Cover with foil and keep warm.
2. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for at least a couple hours, 4 hours is best. The yellow potatoes should start to break up in the soup, but if not, you can help the soup along by mashing some of the yellow potatoes in the pot.
3. Once the cooked chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones. Cut the meat into small pieces and drop them back into the pot.
4. About 5 minutes before serving, add the remaining guascas and let it cook for 5 minutes, then serve.
5. Serve in deep bowls, making sure that each bowl gets some chicken and a piece of corn on the cob. Garnish with a dollop of heavy cream, capers, and cilantro leaves. You can eat the avocado on the side with the rice, or you can cut a slice into pieces and drop into your soup bowl. (I like the avocado chunks in my soup.)
Variations
I’ve been to a few restaurants in Colombia that served the ajiaco with a quarter of a roasted chicken on the side in addition to the regular sides.
Resources
Wikipedia – Galinsoga parviflora (aka guascas)
Hatogrande (papas criollas, guascas)
Amigo Foods (papas criollas, guascas)
Papa criolla can be purchased at some latin markets in the DC metro area frozen. We’ve tried the yukon gold and the jarred papa criolla, but the frozen is the real thing and does all the right stuff to the soup. The brand we have right now is “Canoa” and they call it in English “yellow baby potato” and then of course papa criolla in Spanish. The market we go to is “La Fonda Paisa” in Silver Spring, MD.
Happy eating!
Deanne, thanks so much for the tip on the papas! I’ll keep my eye out for the little frozen gems!
i make ajiaco a lot for my cachaco husband. the only thing i do differently from your recipe is that i use homemade chicken stock to deepen the flavour. i have never been able to find papas criollas on a regular basis here in toronto though.
what is quascas? I have had ajiaco many times but it was always prepared by the muchacha on Sundays before her afternoon off. I am talking about 35 years ago. jb
J: Guascas is an herb that grows wild, and is in fact considered an invasive plant in the U.S. (see links above) If you don’t have any growing in your back yard, you can order dried guascas online from Hatogrande or Amigo Foods.
My fiancé is from Bogotá and when we were in the grocery store one day he pointed out the tiny dutch creamer potatos and said they were the same as the papas criollas.
Hi Casey: You know, I saw those at a local grocery store recently and thought that they might work! So I bought some and have actually planted them in pots indoors to see if I can grow my own papas criollas.
I follow your instruction and it turn out a great celebration dish, thank you much.
Sylvia.
from Chile in USA.
Sylvia, I’m so glad you liked it!
hello Andrea…well my mom gave me the same recipe you have…which means that most o be good!!! but I have one ?, she said that I should add the patatoes by steps, first red patatoes, then Rosset and finally yellow…could that change the thickness of my Ajiaco? she said that this little thing is as important as guascas in the soup…HELP I need it for this Christmas!!
Well, to be honest I’m not sure! I didn’t learn to do it that way, and none of my written sources mention it. That being said, if this is your mom’s secret to making the ajiaco even thicker and richer, then I’m all for it. I’ll have to give it a try!
My husband is colombian and his family serves this soup for christmas. The frozen papas criollas are easy to find in latin markets. Birds eye also sells them. My grocer will order them for me if I ask. The Peruvian or Colomian corn really makes a diference in the soup because it is not sweet. It is worth the longer cooking time if yoou can find it.
I loved your recipe only two things were missing the Green Onions & two cloves of garlic , my mom is from Bogota.
Thank You ,Adrian.
Adrian, thanks for the tip about the green onions and garlic. I’ve never had ajiaco with those before.
Hi Andrea,
I have twin boys we adopted from Bogota Colombia when they were just two months old. We are getting ready to celebrate their 7th birthday this weekend and they want a traditional Colombian birthday party. While I was in Colombia for quite some time, I was fortunate enough to stay with some wonderful people who filled me full of many traditional Colombian foods. My favorite was the ajiaco. I am hoping to make this for the boys’ birthday party and I have just a couple of questions. First, how many servings does this make? Also, I noticed there was no salt or chicken bullion of any kind in this. Does that leave it a little bland? I brought home a couple bags of the Kiska guascas when I came home from Colombia, but it has since expired. Do you think I could find this at a Latino market?
I can’t wait to try this – thanks!!
Barbie
Hi Barbara! I don’t have precise calculations on how many servings this makes, but my estimate is 10 or so. This is a relatively small batch, as many recipes I’ve seen use 3 whole chickens plus pounds and pounds of potatoes! As for the flavor, if you use a whole chicken you won’t have bland flavor. When I first started making it my husband wasn’t really keen on dark meat, so I stuck with breast meat but would add a little bouillon to give it some flavor. We don’t add salt, and I don’t remember ever seeing the maid add salt. This is pretty how much how she fixed it.
I’ve never found guascas at a U.S. market, but I’m sure there are some around the country that carry the stuff. I ordered my stash from Amigo Foods (see links in the post).
I went recently to Bogotá to meet an internet friend for the first time and she introduced me to Ajiaco. I ate it in several different restaurants in Bogotá. I am going to make it this week and I asked my lady friend if your recipe is accurate and she said it should be perfect. I found the guascas and papas criollas at Latinas Americas supermarket in east Orlando, Florida. There is also a Colombian restaurant here (Gloria’s Cafe) that serves DELICIOUS ajiaco on Thursdays. I can’t wait to try this recipe!!
Thanks, Andrea.
My friend from Colombia turned me on to ajiaco. I LOVE THIS STUFF! Glad to find a simple recipe for it on the web. Thanks!
hi andrea
hahahahhahahaa
yo soy bogotana y es super chevere que dediques este espacio para hablar de nuestra deliciosa comida….
Este ajiaco queda genial y si es con sabor colombiano mucho mejor…obviamente con amor y esmero
cuidate!!!
Jessica: Gracias por visitar mi blog. ¡Disfruté de cocinar en Colombia!
Hey Andrea…
I stumbled upon your site and am very pleased to see your recipe for Ajiaco. I used to live in Colombia in the Santander reason and still dream about Ajiacos, vandejas Paisas and Arepas…
I live in the south of France now and I noticed you had american substitute potatoes instead of papas criollas. I don’t suppose you have ever heard of the European Version?
I have been thinking of driving into Spain to see if they have any imported ingredients but it seems that my Ajiaco is going to turn into an expensive stew… (I have found all the other ingredients in Indian and African markets but not the potatoes)
Your recipe does look authentically mouthwatering though. Well done. I never remember Colombian cooking being easy to reproduce…
Denny
Andrea Puedes comprar las papas que necesites en Weston Florida tenemos un supermercado Colombiano.
Andrea: Received a package of guascus from a native of Columbia about a year ago. It does not have an expiration date on it. Do you think it is still usable?
Hi Pauline. Yes, as long as the guascas has been stored away from bright light and kept sealed, it should be fine to use.
Andrea, my mother has alwasy been able to find guascas and frozen papas criollas in Colombian bakeries in Miami. I live in Tampa and am hoping to be able to find also so I can cook my first ajiaco this Christmas!
Andrea, my mother has alwasy been able to find guascas and frozen papas criollas in Colombian bakeries in Miami. I live in Tampa and am hoping to be able to find also so I can cook my first ajiaco this Christmas! Oh, and my mother is from Bogota and definitely uses scallions.
Andrea,
I am very very glad you enjoy ajiaco so much. I am colombian, and I found this website because I want to try to make Ajiaco this weekend.
But I have to make a comment (don’t take it wrong).
Bogotano doesn’t have an accent. Bogotá does.
Just wante to point that out if you’d like to correct the work on this site.
Cheers,
Luisa
=)
I live in Tennesse and I love Ajiaco soup. I want to growth my own guascas because fresh guascas gave better flavor to the soup and I want to find seeds in USA. could you give me directions to find them?
Luis
Hi Luis. The plant grows wild in the U.S. (aka gallant soldier), but it’s considered an invasive weed in most states. I’ve searched but have never found a source of seeds. If you ever find some seeds, feel free to share the source here.
If you want to have some pointless fun, ask your local agricultural extension representative about how to grow guascas (galinsoga parviflora). It’s kind of like asking how to grow dandelions, or asking a doctor how to get sick! Around here it grown on the fringes of corn fields, but who knows what they spray so I haven’t picked any…I use the dried stuff.
I use the frozen papas criollas that are sold in some markets in the DC area, and they work fine, but in the past I’ve done OK with US varieties boiled separately and then pureed with an immersion blender, then added to the main pot.
Hi there:
Just a couple of weeks ago a Colombian friend made ajiaco for me. I almost died of delight. I’m from Venezuela and we’re used to eating our sancocho de whatever, but I have to say that there’s nothing as heavenly as the ajiaco colombiano. I’ll take an ajiaco over a sancocho any time.
Hi Andrea,
I was wondering if you know a place here in NY that sells the Guascas?? I am making ajiaco for a few friends on sunday, but I am missing the herb. I have a friend who is actually flying in tomorrow from Bogota, but I am doubdtful he will bring the ‘encargo’. I am not convinced about adding cilantro instead…its a very different taste. Thank you!
Hi Mauricio. I’m not from NY so I’m afraid I can’t recommend any places to you. I just know of the online stores mentioned in the post that sell guascas. I hope you find some.
papas criollas are very easy to grow. if you happen to get them “fresh” in the market,keep one or two in a cool dark place over the winter. after a while they start to grow, then plant them in the garden in early spring… and then you will enjoy them late summer/fall. as for the next years go, I keep some in the ground over the winter and then in early spring I dig them up and replant them or you can keep them in the frige, but sometimes they go bad (they have a lot of water). I live in WA state, they like regular garden soil and lots of sun, but not too much heat. My mom tried to grow them in souther california, but they didn’t do well… As for the guacas go, I got a handful of them growing in a garden pot… and so with this in mind, I will for the first time ever… will try to make the famous sancocho bogotano… thanks for the recepie.
How wonderful that you are able to grow your own papas criollas and guascas. I have never come across them at a market or even seeds for the guascas, but will surely keep my eyes open for them. Thanks for the growing tips.
Hi Gina
How long will the papas criollas last in a dark cold place or in the fridge? Will they last 4-6 months?
I live in the UK and always bought the guascas dried, since I saw the plant i research about and found out it was taken from SA to Kew Gardens and the seeds escape and it can be found growing wild. I decide to go and look around and certainly I found it growing beside the river. I pick a few plants and cuttings and have some growing in the garden and some growing in a glass with water. It is the easiest plant to grow, it’s like a weed. I have not use it yet because I don’t know if dogs had wee on it or anything put on them; I will wait until I am happy it’s clean; maybe next year.
I normally marinate the chicken with salt, black pepper, garlic the day before to give a better flavor.
yes… the guacas o guascas are a weed, I grow them in a pot and now that is getting cold, I got some stalks in a glass of water, just like you did. during the winter, I will grow them like a house plant (will have to transfer them to some soil) and then in the spring they can go back outside (plant them sideways… they will grow with many roots. and the papas criollas… make sure they are dry (air dry) before you store them in the fridge. you can leave them in the garage inside a shoe box, but they start growing sooner than in the fridge… I put mine inside a paperbag with some paper towels around, to absorb moisture…. I have been doing this for a few years now (I’m not an expect, but that works for me). choose the potatoes of lighter color (the darker ones and bigger ones, I found, don’t store well)… once in a while I check them and change the papertowel… got to keep them dry…. and yes…. you can keep them for 4+ months, By spring, they will look wrinkle and ugly, but once they go back in the soil…… they will make it.