7 Colombian Foods You’ll Love If You’re From the Caribbean

If you’re Jamaican like me, or from the Caribbean, then you know we love to eat. Few things are more important to Caribbean people than the quality of food you will offer us. That goes for whether we’re at home, at a party or in a new country. Wi love wi belly bad bad. That’s why when I travelled solo around Colombia, I was keen on tasting all the food. Here are 7 Colombian foods you’ll love if you’re from the Caribbean:

1. Ajiaco con Pollo (Chicken Potato Soup)

Let’s start with my favourite Colombian meal. It tastes like a chicken soup that your grandma makes on a Saturday but with a Colombian twist. Ajiaco con pollo is a chicken soup made with tiny yellow Andean potatoes (papa criolla), corn on the cob, chicken and a herb called guascas. After the soup is made, the ajiaco is served with a side of rice, avocado, capers, and sour cream.

To eat ajiaco, you dunk all the side dishes into the ajiaco soup and mix everything together. But for me, I prefer to dunk it one spoonful at a time. This keeps the rice from going soggy and I can adjust the flavour as I like.

Ajiaco con pollo is a hearty, delicious soup that reminds me of home. It’s especially loved in the Colombian capital of Bogota (where I lived for a year). My favourite Colombian meal is ajiaco con pollo – to the point where my Colombian friends were lovingly annoyed that it was all I’d request at lunch time lol.

Get the recipe and try it at home: Ajiaco con Pollo

2. Limonada de Coco (Coconut Lemonade)

This frozen drink from Cartagena tastes so good it’s sinful. Imagine your ice cold coconut water turned into a sweet and tarty candy smoothie. It’s made of frozen coconut cream, lime and granulated sugar blended together for the most delicious coconut drink you’ll ever taste.

The refreshing Limonada de Coco is most popular on the Caribbean coast of Cartagena. I think it’s the perfect drink and dessert to quench your thirst while walking through Cartagena’s walled city under the hot sun. This is for sure one Colombian food you’ll love if you’re from the Caribbean!

Get the recipe and try it at home: Limonada de Coco

3. Buñuelos (Colombian Johnny Cakes)

I’m just gonna say it…your johnny cake/fried dumpling could never! You can easily pop these popular ball-shaped fritters into your mouth as you snack on the go.

Colombian buñuelos are lightly sweet, deep-fried fritters with white cheese at the centre. They were my go-to snacks while I lived in Colombia. They are cheap and yummy. You can find them at pretty much every cafeteria and many street stalls in the country.

Get the recipe and try it at home: Buñuelos

4. Arroz con Coco (Coconut Rice)

This is a less savoury version of rice and peas. Sorry Islanders but as a Jamaican, there’s no such thing as peas and rice #fightme. Arroz con coco means rice with coconuts; and with that, you can guess the main ingredients hahaha!

When it comes to meals, I much prefer savoury to sweet, but the sweet flavour of arroz con coco pairs really well with fried fish. You’ll love this Colombian food if you’re from the Caribbean.

Get the recipe and try it at home: Arroz con Coco

5. Cholado (Colombian Snow Cone)

Cholado is a fruity dessert. It is complex and delicious – part shaved ice, part fruit cocktail, and part snow cone. Colombians sweeten cholado with condensed milk and top it with a wafer, cookie or maraschino cherry. Sounds like a mouthful…and it is! You get cholado served with a straw and a spoon so you can get to all the goodies in the cup.

This sweet treat is a top recommendation for Colombian foods you’ll love if you’re from the Caribbean. Cholado originated from the town of Jamundi on the Colombian Pacific coast. Cool and sweet, this dessert is made from shaved ice, chopped fruit, condensed milk, and fruit syrup. Common fruits used to make cholado are no strangers to us Caribbean folks – pineapple, mango, banana, apple, kiwi, strawberry, papaya and soursop.

A cholado dessert is a satisfying blend of fruity, crunchy, creamy, and, most importantly, cool.

Get the recipe and try it at home: Cholado

6. Sopa de Platano (Green Plantain Soup)

Colombian sopa de platano or green plantain soup will, hands down, rival your grandmother’s pigeon peas/gungo peas soup guaranteed. Sopa de platano is both savoury and delectable. It’s made with green plantains, beans, corn, and beef.

I was hesitant to try this Colombian soup at first but boy am I glad I did! The cafeteria of the school, where I taught English and French, made it weekly. Of course, I befriended the cafeteria ladies so I could get extra servings! Sometimes, if they finished cooking early I would run down to get a quick sample serving before lunchtime.

If ever you’re in a traditional Colombian restaurant, check if they have sopa de platano and order it for appetizer. Thank me later.

Get the recipe and try it at home: Sopa de Platano

7. Obleas (Colombian Wafer Snack)

Obleas, to me, are like the Colombian peanut butter and jelly sandwich…minus the peanut butter and the jelly. Lol hear me out! Obleas remind me of a pb&j sandwich because of its contrasting flavours and textures.

Obleas are round wafer sandwiches that look like a DVD. They are filled with arequipe (similar to dulce de leche or caramel), blackberry jam, and shredded fresh cheese. While obleas might be the most unfamiliar taste on the list, I’m sure you won’t regret it once you try this crunch Colombian street snack!

Get the recipe and try it at home: Obleas

Colombian food prioritises being hearty and filling over spicy or gourmet. Likewise, the Caribbean is no stranger to filling foods, although we love our spices! These 7 Colombian foods are sure to make your stomach smile, with flavours that hint of a taste of the Caribbean.

Which Colombian food intrigued you the most? Is there any that you’ll be trying out in the kitchen or on your next trip to Colombia?