It is said that revolutionaries who fought for our independence from Spain in the 19th century were among the first to enjoy the unusual but delectable repast. I remember them every time I visit La Puerta Falsa, a small family-run café in the city's historic district that dates back to 1816. At 5 p.m., its narrow mezzanine, which barely fits a handful of rickety tables, is alive with customers. The cooks vigorously stir grainy tablets of bitter cocoa and sugar into hot water with a wooden whisk called a molinillo until a layer of foam forms on top, then waiters plunk down the sweet beverage alongside a buttered pan blandito, or soft milk bread, a slice of fresh cows' milk cheese known simply as "white cheese," and an almojábana, a spongy sweet-and-sour cheese roll made with corn and yucca starch. Tradition calls for dropping small chunks of the cheese into the hot chocolate until they melt into silky strings, which I scoop out, twirl around my spoon, then slurp down. What's left at the bottom of my cup toward the end, a mix of the salty, fatty cheese and sweet chocolate, is perfect for soaking up with hunks of the fluffy bread.

La Puerta Falsa
Calle 11 No. 6-50
Bogotá, Colombia
57/1/286-5091