Try our tour of unusual Colombian dishes, famous for being aphrodisiacs as well as key components of a rich and varied cuisine, full of Colombian charm.
Uncover the charm of typical Colombian dishes
Colombia is home to so many varieties of arepa – piping hot corn patties that pre-date the conquest of the Americas – they could compete with the cast of an animated movie. Slabs of cheese dipped in hot chocolate is another favorite, a typical dish capable of rousing the spirits and warming the soul.
But these standout, and well-known, staples of Colombian cuisine come with a ‘B’ side, a whole range of dishes that are less well-known but enjoy an added kicker: they possess a natural elixir. In other words, they’re aphrodisiacs.
Throughout Colombia, visitors will discover recipes with unique and magical ingredients, which promise to do more than just fill the belly and sweeten the palate. Like an apple infused with “magic” powers, these dishes take their inspiration from the love goddess Aphrodite and stimulate the senses that make us fall in love with food.
How did these Colombian dishes evolve? Superstition, magic, fantasy or charm? It’s a little of everything and a mix of cultures too, incorporating Colombia’s African, indigenous and Spanish roots. Spiritual beliefs mix with the power of nature here to ensure food and fascinating flavors are the stars of the show.
With this as our prologue, we can now jump into a tour of Colombia’s aphrodisiac food. Here’s our guide to where visitors can experience the power and effects of these delicacies.
Our journey through Colombia’s aphrodisiac foods begins in the Pacific
Colombia has the good fortune to enjoy two coastlines – the Caribbean Sea to its north, on the Atlantic coastline, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
The Colombian Pacific is an enticing one for tourists, a place where humpback whales arrive once a year to mate and give birth, where sea turtles lay their eggs on the shore and their newborns must make their way back to the waves, and where the city of Cali delights with its music.
Visitors to Cali are entranced by its concerts and live bands, and salsa shows like Delirio, the ‘salsa circus’, where the dancers’ skills have to be seen to be believed.
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The cuisine of the Colombian Pacific is delicious, but we are not here to talk about its aromatic fish dishes and heady seafood stews. Let’s turn our attention to its rarest and most exotic aphrodisiac foods, and the charms they entail:
Chontaduro, the fruit of love
What are the benefits of the famous chontaduro? Ask a scientist and he or she will tell you that chontaduro has useful properties, helping with everything from boosting a person’s immune system to improving their vision. Ask the person selling you a chontaduro in the Colombian Pacific, and you will get one reply:
“Honey, this chontaduro comes from an Amazonian palm tree and it’s going to give you the power of Samson when it comes to making love, you hear me? Your desire is going to expand like foam.”
You’ll find chontaduro for sale on any street in Cali. Why not take a stroll through the Parque de los Gatos, grab a chontaduro with salt, honey and lemon and see for yourself.
The borojó fruit and its revered “Love Juice”
Boroja Patinoi is better known in the Colombian Pacific as borojó, a powerful elixir that would embolden any movie character who needs to save the love of her life from a dragon.
Technically speaking, borojó is a fruit full of protein, phosphorus and vitamins B and C, and is known to enrich the diet with calcium and so much iron it would leave Popeye’s signature spinach for dust.
This powerful fruit tends to be consumed in jams, candies and as juice, in a drink popularly known as “Love Juice”. Just one glass is said to give any couple a “happy ever after”.
Whilst you’re in the Colombian Pacific, don’t forget to visit Gorgona National Natural Park and Uramba Bahia Malaga National Natural Park – places that are worth falling in love with.
Aphrodisiac seafood: From the Pacific to the Atlantic, and the Greater Colombian Caribbean
It’s not an action movie about pirates conquering the Caribbean Sea, but it could be. Colombia never tires of offering its visitors charming destinations, full of contrast. From the black sands and verdant rainforests of the Pacific to the palm-fringed, white sand of the Greater Colombian Caribbean, we’ll continue our tour of the country’s rich gastronomy.
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As with any coastal area, seafood is the star of the show in the Greater Colombian Caribbean: succulent, delicious, aromatic and, of course, fresh from the ocean waves.
“I see, my friend, this movie is getting better and better”.
Caribbean culture is full of folklore and joy, a timeless jewel in Colombian tourism that takes in the cities of Cartagena, Santa Marta and Barranquilla, capitals of their respective departments that glisten with magic and fun. Music is everywhere on the Colombian coast, the streets themselves dance with rhythm and motion and it’s impossible not to get caught up in the atmosphere from the moment you land.
But what, you ask, about the aphrodisiac foods? Let’s take a look:
Cevicherias: Ceviche at your service, my friend
Let’s set aside the idea that the best place to dine is in a café or restaurant, and focus instead on one of the great charms of the Greater Colombian Caribbean: the region’s central squares and lively public spaces.
In Cartagena, for example, the Bazurto market is an unmissable experience. The place hums to the sound of champeta and the days pass in a blur of colors, flavors and people, a connection to the city and its past that is a real privilege to experience.
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Bazurto and public squares: aphrodisiacs ‘Caribbean Style’
Bazurto is a fantastic place to browse and taste every aphrodisiac dish your heart desires, especially seafood, from ceviche ‘stews’ to aromatic fish dishes, like corvina, each powerful in their own way.
Start with a nice smooth shrimp cocktail, then graduate to a big hitter like ceviche, stuffed with small clams known as “chipi chipi”, octopus, squid and sea snails and laugh as the street vendors tell you, “If you haven’t known love before this, you’ll soon know it now.”
You can enjoy these treats right across the Greater Colombian Caribbean. Search out the same dishes in the stunning surroundings of Tayrona National Park, near Santa Marta, or enjoy them on the beaches of Puerto Colombia or Puerto Velero, near Barranquilla.
Waiter
So, which aphrodisiac foods would you like to order today?
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