Also readily available is a wide selection of fritos, not as in The Frito Bandito, but a variety of fried victuals including empanadas, arepas, and deditos. Arepas are an essential part of the Colombian diet, and they come in many varieties. Here on the coast, the preferred arepa has egg inside.
My favorite item on the Colombian menu, however, is the jugo—juice. Jugos are a blend of fresh tropical fruta, water or milk, and a generous dose of sugar. One of my goals for my year here is to sample as many types of jugo as possible. Here’s my list so far:
• Lulo (a fruit native only to Colombia—I don’t know if it has an English name)
• Mango
• Fresa (strawberry)
• Mora (blackberry)
• Feijoa (I don’t know the English term for this one either)
• Maracuyá (passionfruit)
• Piña (pineapple)
• Papaya
• Guanabana (don’t know the translation)
• Tomate de árbol (translated as tree tomato, but it tastes nothing like tomato)
• Guayaba (guava)
• Tamarindo (tamarind)
• Maíz (corn)
Not too shabby for just two weeks into my trip. But that’s not even scratching the surface…
