The Tolima tamal is much more than a traditional dish: it is an ancestral symbol filled with stories, aromas, and traditions from the Colombian highlands. In this tale, I guide you through the exact moment we uncovered it—wrapped in mystery and bijao leaves—during a gastronomic experience in Bogotá.
It felt like a riddle, a detective game full of secrets waiting to be revealed.
What were those three protective layers of bijao hiding?
We all watched in anticipation as our guide peeled them back one by one. From the aromas alone, we were already starting to guess. I hesitated for a moment and said:
—It must have corn.
The guide looked surprised and, with a smile, replied:
—Bravo!
When she finished opening it, she took a spoon and lifted the golden dough: an ancestral treasure we had just uncovered.
—This is the guardian of the highland mountains —she explained.
The rice could be seen mixed into the dough. Just before revealing everything, she paused and looked at us. One of the girls, almost as a question, whispered:
—Pork?
—Chicken —said another visitor.
—Both —the guide answered playfully—. Sometimes even egg… but not today.
Then, with a touch of ceremony, she presented it:
The Tolima tamal.
One of the seven pearls of Colombia hidden in Bogotá… and we had only discovered the first one.
Beyond its flavor, the Tolima tamal represents the union of territory, memory, and traditional cooking. Each layer of bijao is a reminder of how the people of the highlands have protected their recipes for generations. Discovering it in Bogotá, far from its Tolima birthplace, shows how Colombian cuisine travels, adapts, and continues to win hearts. For many travelers, this dish becomes a gateway to culture—an invitation to explore markets, plazas, and kitchens where food is still prepared with patience and respect for the ancestral. And so, this tamal—one of the country’s most beloved treasures—becomes an experience that transcends the culinary and transforms into a story worth telling.
By Fredy Calderon
If you want to see an authentic journey through Colombian gastronomy, here is a recommended video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN-BLswjCH4
To live this experience in Bogotá, visit our official page:
https://thetruecolombianexperience.com/
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