Hogao

Hogao is the mother sauce of Colombian cuisine, a deeply savory, slightly sweet tomato and scallion sauce that appears on tables across the entire country. Known in some regions as guiso or sofrito, hogao is the indispensable condiment that ties countless Colombian dishes together. It is spooned over arepas at breakfast, served alongside bandeja paisa, used as a base for stews, and dolloped on top of empanadas, rice, eggs, and grilled meats. The magic of hogao lies in cooking the scallions and tomatoes low and slow in oil with cumin and garlic until they break down into a thick, jammy, almost caramelized sauce. Every Colombian household makes hogao slightly differently: some prefer it chunky, others smooth; some add bell pepper, others keep it pure. This recipe follows the classic Antioquian preparation that forms the backbone of paisa cooking.