Colombian Fruits

Welcome to the taste2travel Colombian Fruits feature article – the first post published on Taste2travel! 

Date of Review: 26th of April 2016

Introduction

Note from Darren: This was the first ever post written on taste2travel in April of 2016. Humble beginnings!

I’m temporarily residing in Cali, Colombia. Each day I go to my local market to buy some of the fresh fruit, which grows in abundance here. There is always a large variety of fruit, some of it truly exotic. I was curious to try all of these and thought sharing the tasting results in a blog would be a good idea.

Due to the topography of the country, Colombia is perfect for growing all types of produce, from tropical fruits on the hot, humid coastal plains to cooler climate fruits high up in the Andes mountain range to really exotic stuff in the hot and steamy Amazon basin. No matter what the required growing condition Colombia can provide it.

It was all very delicious and something I will repeat again elsewhere. Without further ado, here are the fruits in question.

Fruit Selection

Yellow Dragon Fruit

 

English Name: Yellow Dragon Fruit

Spanish Name: Pitahaya Amarilla

Texture: Soft, leathery but firm skin/ soft and mushy fruit inside (like a kiwifruit)

Taste: Mild sweetness, slightly tart aroma, very much like a kiwifruit

Origin: The cactus this fruit grows on is native to Mexico. The fruit is now cultivated worldwide.

Local usage:

• Used in fruits salads
• Used in fruit juices with other fruits

Naranjilla

English Name: Naranjilla (translates from Spanish as ‘Small Orange’)

Spanish Name: Naranjilla (Ecuador & Panama)/ Lulo (Colombia)

Texture: Gritty skin, feels like sandpaper / soft, mushy, translucent pulp inside

Taste: Slightly tart citrus taste – like a lime

Origin: The plant this fruit grows on is native to northwestern South America (Colombia, Ecuador)

Local usage:

• Used as a juice
• Eaten with a sprinkle of salt
• Is also great in a Pisco Sour

Tamarillo

English Name: Tamarillo or Tree tomato

Spanish Name: Tomate de árbol

Texture: Just like a regular tomato/ soft fruit inside which peels away easily from the skin.

Taste: Slightly acidic like a combination of passionfruit and tomato.

Origin: The tree this fruit grows on is native to the Andes region (Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile). The fruit is now cultivated worldwide.

Local usage:

• Blended with water and sugar to make a juice
• Used to make jams, spreads etc.
• Blended with chilli peppers to make a hot sauce

Curuba

English Name: Banana passionfruit

Spanish Name: Curuba

Texture: A member of the passionfruit family, the skin is soft, just like a banana. The fruit is orange in colour with black seeds and scoops out just like a passionfruit.

Taste: Tastes sweet

Origin: The vine this fruit grows on is native to the Andes region (Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile). The fruit is now cultivated worldwide.

Local usage: Used in juice, normally with milk – like a smoothie

Sandia Amarilla

English Name: Yellow-skin watermelon

Spanish Name: Sandia Amarilla

Texture: Same as a regular watermelon

Taste: Similar to a regular watermelon but slightly more subtle in flavour

Origin: Hybrid watermelon developed in Asia

Local usage: 

• Eaten raw
• Used in juices
• Used in fruit salads

Goiaba

English Name: Guava

Spanish Name: Goiaba

Texture: Soft smooth skin/ firm pink pulp with numerous hard seeds

Taste: A little sweet and a little tart

Origin: The tree this fruit grows on is native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America. The fruit is now cultivated worldwide.

Local usage:

• Eaten raw
• Used in juices
• Used in jams
• Used in fruit salads

Carambola

English Name: Star Fruit

Spanish Name: Carambola

Texture: Thin, smooth, waxy skin/ crunchy, juicy, fruit.

Taste: Tart, sour, slightly acidic

Origin: The tree this fruit grows on is native to southeast Asia and the Indian sub-continent. The fruit is now cultivated worldwide.

Local usage:

• Used in fruits salad
• Used in fruit juice
• Eaten with a squeeze of lemon

Granadilla

English Name: Granadilla

Spanish Name: Granadilla

Texture: A member of the passionfruit family, the skin is hard and slippery/ fruit consists of black seeds surrounded by a gooey, transparent pulp (just like a passionfruit).

Taste: Soft, sweet taste

Origin: The vine this fruit grows on is native to the Andes region (Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia). The fruit is now cultivated worldwide.

Local usage:

• Eaten raw
• Used in fruit salads

Chirimoya

English Name: Custard Apple

Spanish Name: Chirimoya

Texture: Hard outer flesh/ soft, creamy fruit with large black seeds

Taste: A mellow sweet taste/ like a cross between pineapple and banana

Origin: The shrub this fruit grows on is native to the Andes region (Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia). The fruit is now cultivated worldwide.

Local usage:

• Eaten raw
• Used in juices
• Used in ice-creams and yogurts

Uchuva

English Name: Cape gooseberry/ Goldenberry (USA)

Spanish Name: Uchuva

Texture: Feels like a cherry tomato/ soft, mushy fruit with small seeds inside

Taste: Has a sweet, mildly tart flavor

Origin: The plant this fruit grows on is native to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The fruit is now cultivated worldwide.

Local usage:

• Used in juices
• Used in fruit salads
• Used as a garnish for desserts in restaurants

Maracuya Amarilla

English Name: Yellow passionfruit

Spanish Name: Maracuya Amarilla

Texture: Same as a regular purple passionfruit (but much larger) with a hard, slippery skin / fruit consists of black seeds surrounded by a gooey, yellow pulp

Taste: As tart as a regular passionfruit

Origin: The vine this fruit grows on is native to the Amazon region of Brazil. The fruit is now cultivated worldwide.

Local usage: 

• Used in juices
• Used in ice-cream, yogurt and baking
• Popular in a Pisco Sour for those for find the ‘Pisco’ taste to be too strong

Fruit Salad

Safe Travels!

Darren

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Further Reading

Other travel reports from the region include:

• Amazon River Journey
• French Guiana
• French Guiana (Cayenne Carnival)
• Guyana
• Macapa to Manaus via the Guianas
• Suriname
• Venezuela (Gran Sabana Region)

Colombian Fruits Colombian Fruits Colombian Fruits Colombian Fruits