The Tropical Fruits of Colombia Uncover Colombia
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The Tropical Fruits of Colombia

January 16, 2021, 2:53 pm

It is highly likely that there will be a dozen incredible fruits in season that you have never laid eyes on before. It's certainly a memorable and sensory experience to walk through the fruit section amid all the unusual scents, shapes and colours! Exotic fruits are extremely plentiful, delicious and oh so cheap in Colombia. We highly recommend that you take the time to try as many fruits as possible on your visit to Colombia.

In our first blog dedicated to tropical produce we will showcase 5 of Colombia's many exotic fruits:

Granadilla

This fruit belongs to the passion fruit family and is roughly the size of an apple with a round, freckled-orange appearance. Breaking open the hard shell of a granadilla is easily done with your hands and once you're through the outer shell there is a layer of pith. The fruit contains black edible seeds covered by a transparent or yellow jelly-like pulp. This refreshing and juicy fruit can be eaten straight away and has a sweet sugary flavour. You'll find this fruit available all year round. We recommend that you select the heaviest fruits as they contain the most fruit pulp. 

Pitaya Amarilla

These strange looking fruits are commonly known in English as 'dragon fruit' named after their scaly red cousin found in Asia. The pitaya is the fruit of a species of cactus and has thick, leathery, scaly skin, sometimes even with a few thorns. The yellow-skinned fruit which has a white flesh filling with small edible black seeds can be eaten at any time and is an excellent natural laxative - so don't eat it in large quantities! It has an intense aroma and its pulp is very refreshing and sweet, the taste could be likened to grape or lychee - plus it is low in calories. How to eat it? Slice it in half and then scoop out the pulp. It can be eaten right away. 

Feijoa

The feijoa is an egg-sized oval shaped fruit with smooth dark green skin. When you cut into a feijoa, you will see thick, juicy flesh that is either light yellow or white in colour with lots of small edible seeds present within the flesh. The feijoa fruit is well known for its fragrant and long-lasting aroma with tropical overtones including pineapple, mint and guava. The fruit is native to South America and was named after a Brazilian botanist, Joam da Silva Feijo. In English, the feijoa fruit is known as the Guavasteen. Feijoa is mainly grown around the village of Tibasosa in the department of Boyacá, central Colombia. If you ever venture to the picturesque main plaza there you will find shops selling everything made from feijoa including an eggnog called "sabajón" to feijoa flavoured ice cream, cakes, biscuits and candies. The whole economy of the town is based on the success of the fruit! 

Zapote

Zapote is a fruit that grows in the Colombian jungle regions and in particular, the department of Amazonas. The zapote fruit has a thick, leathery and downy skin and is usually brown or green on the outside. The soft and juicy flesh is orange-yellow and it has a creamy, nutty flavour. Inside there are some large inedible seeds. The fruit tastes a little like papaya or mango but far less sweet. This is a fruit that has always been eaten out-of-hand. Keep a napkin and some floss handy! 

Mango Azucar

The sugar mango is a small Colombian fruit with much lower fiber content than a normal mango. The small mango azucar is yellow and sweet with a thin edible skin. You could describe the mango azucar as having the texture of a nectarine but with the taste of a mango. Grown mainly in the northern region of Colombia, near the Atlantic Coast, cultivation has spread to the departments of Cundinamarca, Tolima and Huila. 

We hope you've enjoyed this article about Colombia's delicious tropical fruits! There are so many fruits in Colombia that you can find at any market around the country.

Share with your traveller friends!

Nidia Penagos
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nidia Penagos

Nidia started Uncover Colombia after feeling the tug to promote her native country through a positive perspective. What better way to do that than showing visitors the beauty and diversity of her homeland? She was well-aware Colombia didn’t have the best reputation and she wanted to change that. So in 2012, with the help of her Colombian husband and close group of friends, she laid the foundation to build a Colombian tour operator that offers unique adventures, safe experiences and utilises local knowledge on each and every tour. 

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