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.
It is not unusual to have exotic fruit juices when you are invited to someone’s home or if you go out to eat. Fruit juices, snacks and desserts can be found in the finest restaurants, street vendors and even massive fruit markets such as Paleocemado in Bogota. Many of these fruits can be consumed directly buy many must be processed into another form. Whether juiced, baked or simmered into sauces, the fruit and vegetable juices of Colombia will enchant you!
Crepes & Waffles in Bogota
While in Colombia last month, I took a quick excursion to my father’s hometown of Girardot which brought back memories of his love of guanabana (or soursop) juice. This is a milky-like white juice which is naturally sweet and can be made with water or milk. It was tall and thirst-quenching and almost brought me to tears just thinking about my dad.
Fruits and Juices of Colombia
As many of these fruits are newer to me, I thought I’d provide a Ultimate Guide to Fruits and Juices of Colombia for your reference. Have this post handy when you travel to Central and South America as many of these fruits are accessible in just about any of these countries. They may have different names but their flavour will not change.
Agucate – Avocado – there are many varieties of avocado in Colombia but you are likely to find large ones with smooth skin. With this variation, ripe avocados do not necessarily turn black – it will still be bright green.
Anon – Sweetsop or sugar apple, soft white pulp with inedible pits, can eat directly or with used for juice (related to a cherimoya)
Badea – giant passion fruit – sweet and once ripe, the rine can be eaten like a melon. YOu can eat directly or be juiced
Bocadillo Banano – fingerling sweet bananas. Much sweeter than a standard banana and are snack size.
Chontaduro – firm flesh is the same colour as the skin. Drier in texture – eaten directly as a street food snack.
Ciruelas – tiny plums, sweet with an inedible pit, usually eaten directly. When at street lights, vendors may try to pass off tiny ciruelas as cherries, do not be fooled – they are plums!
Curuba – banana passion fruit – pink/coral coloured flesh with edible seeds. Can be eaten directly (slightly bitter) or juiced in water or milk
Feijoa – pineapple guava – soft, white pulp, edible seeds and can be used for juice
Gunabana – white pulp, sweet with large inedible seeds, used primarily for juice but can be eaten directly
Granadilla – with a hard rind which you crush open, you will find clear pulpy flesh with black seeds. Pulp and seeds are edible. Eat directly.
Guayaba Comun – most common variety of guava fruit, round and pink inside, used primarily for water-based juice. Can be eaten directly once ripe.
Guama – long hard pod with white pulp and large inedible seeds. Sweet and sticky, eat directly
Gulupa – purple passion fruit – the skin is dark maroon (almost black), yellowish pulp with black edible seeds, Can be used for juices with a water or milk base.
Maracuya – passion fruit – similar in taste and texture to a granadilla. Pulp is yellowish with black seeds and is sweet. All pulp and seeds are edible but mainly used for juice.
Higos – a variety of figs – soft, pulp with a reddish tinge to it, can be eaten directly
Limon Tahitian – very small limes (key limes?), sour – used for juice, used for cooking
Lulo – usually used for juice, it is sour and has a green and orange pulp with tiny seeds. You can find this as frozen pulp. Can be water or milk-based juice. Very popular in Colombia.
Mamoncillo – small solid orange pulp ball with a pit. Similar in texture to lychee fruit. Skin is hard and you pierce to expose the fruit. Eat directly. In the picture, mamoncillo is on left, guama on the right.
Mango – mangoes come in all sizes from tiny sweet ones that fit in the palm of your had to large meaty ones. Eat directly or make juice once they are very ripe. Green unripe mangoes are eaten with salt as a snack.
Mangostino – Mangosteen -resembles a giant lychee fruit in texture and colour – white pulp, divided into wedges. It is eaten directly
Moras – Blackberries – one of the most popular juices in Colombia, you will find this on every menu. You can have this as water or milk-based beverage.
Naranja – Orange unlike our North American oranges, Colombian oranges come in a hue of colours from yellow to light orange to green.
Naranja Grey – bitter orange – the rind is candied and eaten primarily during the Christmas holiday season.
Nopal – prickly pear – more of a medicinal plant than a fruit.
Papaya – Colombian papyaas are huge. You need to peel, seed and cut into cubes. Eat directly.
Papayuela – a smaller version of papaya but is more firm. As a child, my mom said you eat papayuela during Christmas time as a sweet.
Pitaya – dragon fruit – unlike other dragon fruit, it is yellow outside but is white with black seeds on the inside (like other dragon fruit). You eat it directly, juice is not usually made with pitaya.
Toronja – Grapefruit – just like back home, these grapefruits were large and in hues from yellow to coral to orange. Peel and eat directly. Juice can be made with water.
Tomate de arbol rojo – or Tomarillo – found in a huge of colours from yellow to t deep maroon. Used in juices and sweets. Funnily enough, I did not find one family member that enjoyed this fruit (texture, bitter-sweet in flavour).
Uchuva – gooseberries or golden berries – now readily available in Costco, a uchuva is like a candy that you pop into your mouth. No peeling, it has more substance than a grape (uva) but it is not as juicy.
Zapote – having the same texture and fibres of a mango, zapote is found primarily in the coastal region. It’s sweet and juicy.
These are but a few of the fruits and juices of Colombia. You can visit a great big market like Plaza de Mercado Paloquemado. All of Colombia in one location (‘Toda Colombia en un solo lugar’) is the motto and it is very true. You will find every variety of fruit and vegetable in Colombia along with living chickens, roosters, fishmongers and butchers of every variety. There are flowers (another of the biggest exports besides coffee), bakeries, sweets and artisanal handicrafts. Come hungry, you won’t be disappointed.
Other posts on Colombia:
- First Wonder of Colombia – the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira
- Traveling with Grandma to Colombia
- Short Travel Videos from DownshiftingPRO (including BOTERO Museums in Bogota and Medellin, Colombia)
- The Botero Museum in Bogota and Medellin (video)
- Ultimate Guide to Fruits and Juices in Colombia
- Best Souvenirs to Buy in Colombia
Other posts in South America that may be of interest to you:
- La Paz Bolivia: Ultimate Traveler’s Guide
- 17 Most Iconic Landmarks In South America (You Can’t Miss!)
Margarita Ibbott is a travel and lifestyle blogger. She blogs about travel in Canada, the United States and Europe giving practical advice through restaurant, hotel and attraction reviews. She writes for DownshiftingPRO.com and other online media outlets.