Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [26]
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DRINKS
Nonalcoholic Drinks
Coffee is Colombia’s number-one drink, and its biggest (legal) export. Vendors amble the streets with thermoses of coffee and milk and for a few coins will pour you a small plastic cup of tinto (black coffee, called perico in Bogotá), pintado (‘painted’ with a little milk), or cafe con leche (with more milk).
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ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY LULO
No trip to Colombia is complete without sampling the country’s astonishing variety of tropical fruit. All the usual suspects are present here, including piña (pineapple), mango and papaya, and three kinds of passion fruit – the tart yellow maracuyá, sweet orange granadilla, and tiny, mouth-puckering curuba. Some may recognize the feijoa and the tamarillo (and its paler cousin, tomate de árbol); those who’ve been to Cuba will recognize the mamey sapote, principally on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Guayaba (guava) is cheap, and even the poorest of the poor still send their children off to school with glass jars of homemade guava juice.
There are many other fruits seen almost nowhere else in the world. The uchuva (physalis, or ground cherry) has been spotted in North American supermarkets, exported from Colombia; the size of a grape, they are sweet and tart; pop them whole into your mouth. The guanabana (soursop) you’re less likely to see overseas, as it travels poorly, but it makes divine juice, especially when made with milk. The Chocó boasts the borojó, rumored to be an aphrodisiac. Street vendors often sell the mamoncillo, similar to lychee or rambutan, but with a smooth, green skin.
A highlight is the lulo. It is indigenous to Colombia; aside from the border regions with Ecuador and Venezuela, it is grown nowhere else. It resembles a persimmon, and is orange, with a thin, inedible skin covered in microscopic spines that prick the fingertips. If they bother you, run your fingers through your hair – the oil will remove the tiny spines. A lulo is not ripe and ready to eat until very soft. Your thumb should make an indentation and not spring back. Before then it is unpleasantly tart.
The lulo, like most fruit in Colombia, is consumed in the form of juice. It also forms the base for champús and luladas, both delightful concoctions of Cali and Popayán. Astonish the locals by eating lulo straight, with a spoon. Or, for a mouth-watering light breakfast, try a bowl of quality granola, sugar-free yogurt and a fresh, super-ripe lulo scooped on top. Grate fresh nutmeg over the lot. It’s not the Colombian way – but it is divine!
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Those planning a pilgrimage to the land of Juan Valdéz may be in for something of a disappointment, however. In contrast to neighboring Venezuela, Colombia exports all of its very best beans, leaving a mediocre brew for its own citizens. You can also visit coffee plantations in the Zona Cafetera – well worth doing at harvest time – and purchase coffee directly from the growers.
Less known is that Colombia also produces tea. The lush, green tropical hills mimic those of Darjeeling, although they produce a far less sought-after product. Most tea sold in Colombia is grown domestically, and while it’s drinkable it’s not the proper cuppa you may be accustomed to. Loose leaf is difficult to find.
More popular than black tea in Colombia is herbal tea (tisanes). Popular varieties include cidrón (citrus leaves), yerbabuena (mint) and manzanilla (chamomile). Those looking to doze off before a long bus ride should try valeriana (valerian), which will knock you right out.
Other popular hot drinks include aguapanela – raw, unrefined cane sugar (panela) cooked in boiling water with a squeeze of lemon juice – and chocolate santafereño, which is hot chocolate served with freshly curded cheese at the bottom of your mug.
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Coffee in Colombia, 1850-1970: An Economic, Social and Political History (1980) by Marco Palacios is an academic look at how coffee changed the Colombian economy and played a role in developing the nation.
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