Ajiaco santafereño is Bogotá's signature soup: a thick chicken broth with three kinds of potato, mazorca (corn on the cob) and guascas, an Andean herb that gives it its distinctive flavor. It's served piping hot with rice and avocado, and in Bogotá people usually add capers and cream at the table. In Madrid, we cook it at Tequendama Las Rozas and at Tequendama Moments.
At a glance
| Origin | Bogotá, in Colombia's Andean region |
| Type of dish | Thick soup eaten as a main course |
| Key ingredients | Chicken, papa criolla, papa sabanera, papa pastusa, mazorca and guascas |
| Served with | White rice and avocado; capers and cream to taste |
| When it's eaten | At midday, especially on cold days and at family meals |
What ajiaco santafereño is
Its name comes from Santa Fe de Bogotá, the old name of the Colombian capital. It's a high-altitude dish: on the Bogotá savanna it's cool all year round, and ajiaco is the food that warms you up.
What sets it apart from other soups is the mix of potatoes. Papa criolla, small and yellow, breaks down as it cooks and thickens the broth; sabanera and pastusa potatoes hold their shape better and give it body. The other must-have ingredient is guascas, a wild Andean herb with an aroma unlike any European herb.
How it's eaten
It's served in a deep bowl or a clay pot, with the shredded chicken in the broth and a piece of mazorca that you eat with your hands. On the side come the rice and avocado, which get mixed in with each spoonful. In Bogotá each diner adds capers and a splash of cream to taste.
Tequendama's ajiaco
On our menu, it's a soup made with three different kinds of potato, shredded chicken and mazorca, flavored with guascas, served with rice and avocado on the side. You'll find it on the Las Rozas menu, on the Moments menu, and also for takeaway. The guascas and papa criolla we use are imported.
Frequently asked questions
What are guascas?
A wild Andean herb (Galinsoga parviflora) used dried or fresh. It's what gives ajiaco its distinctive aroma; without guascas, it isn't ajiaco santafereño.
How is ajiaco different from sancocho?
Ajiaco is from Bogotá and is based on the three potatoes and guascas, with chicken. Sancocho is made in many regions of Colombia with yuca, plantain and different meats or fish, and its broth is lighter.
Does ajiaco have cream in it?
It comes with cream, which in Colombia is put on the table so everyone can add as much as they like. It isn't cooked with it.
Where can you eat ajiaco in Madrid?
At Tequendama we serve it at the Las Rozas restaurant (C/ Escorial, 1) and at Tequendama Moments, in Goya (Av. de Felipe II, 4). You can also order it for takeaway.
Updated October 7, 2026 · By the Tequendama Team · Next: bandeja paisa, or read what to eat at a Colombian restaurant · More from the guide