If there is one thing that my mother misses and my dad pined for, it was the fresh fruits and juices of Colombia. Whether a sweet guanábana or a bittersweet lulo, there are so many juices to savour. In this tropical country, there is a huge abundance of fruits from which one garners tropical juices be they made with water or milk.
Making juices with milk instead of water may seem like a foreign concept to most but adding dairy creates a richer flavour which may surprise your palette. Drinking your vitamins is not uncommon in a vegan or vegetarian diet and Colombia has adopted “smoothie” variations for years. My aunts are now making juice with almond milk to avoid lactose. This worked just as well if not better!
The variety of fruits juices in Colombia is due to the biodiversity of the climate. There are three mountain ranges crisscrossing the country with cool mountain top and hot, humid valleys. This variance in temperature creates the perfect environment to grow fruits. Experience farming techniques lend itself to successful cultivation of mangos, curubas, moras, bananos and cherimoyas.