Traditional food in Cartagena

Cartagena is recognized for its unique and exquisite cuisine. The city has a long history of blending African, Spanish and Caribbean flavors resulting in some truly memorable dishes.

If you are visiting Cartagena, one way to get to know and enjoy the city is through its flavors and the enjoyment of trying traditional food. The Caribbean region of Colombia is rich in variety, the mixture of races existing in it and the influence of waves of migration have enriched the menu.

This is a sample of the most popular delicacies that you must try if you visit Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

Traditional dishes or typical food in Cartagena

Mojarra, rice with coconut and patacones

A tourist in Cartagena cannot fail to try this dish that is enjoyed by the sea or in a typical food restaurant. The mojarra is a fish that is fried and served with coconut rice, salad and plantains.

Shrimp cocktail

A popular cocktail made with shrimp, tomatoes, onions, and a variety of seasonings. You should definitve try this in Cartagena.

Mote de queso

Mote de queso is a thick soup typical of the Colombian coast made of yam (a tuber) and salty cheese.

Carne en posta cartagenera – Cartagena Meat post

The Cartagena Meat post is a thick cut meat with a lot of flavor in its sauce, it is offered sweet with panela or salty.

Rib or fish sancocho

Traditional cuisine dish in Cartagena. It is a nutritious soup that contains plantain, cassava, yam, potato, corn on the cob, and squash. It is scented with cilantro. The protein is provided by the meaty beef rib. The famous triphasic sancocho adds chicken and pork. They also offer fish sancocho.

Shrimp rice or seafood rice

Delicious rice containing fresh shrimp or seafood. In Cartagena this is one of the best dishes.

Seafood casserole

Popular seafood stew made with clams, squid, scallops and prawns in a tomato-based sauce.

Traditional fried food from the Colombian coast

Arepa de huevo – Egg Arepa

One of a kind. It is the traditional fried corn dough arepa with an egg inside. There are those who add meat or bits of chicharrón.

Arepa dulce – Sweet arepa

Thin corn arepa with aniseed and a touch of sweet, when fried it is blown. It is also made salty.

Caribañola

Cooked cassava dough, oval in shape, stuffed with ground meat and fried. It is also made stuffed with cheese.

Empanadas

The fried food are accompanied with suero, which is a salty milk cream, with chimichurri or a tomato, onion, coriander and chive mincemeat with a touch of spiciness.

Traditional drinks of the Colombian coast

Panela water or guarapo

Refreshing drink of dissolved panela and lemon juice.

Corozo juice

Drink made with cooked and sweetened corozo.

Pineapple chicha with rice

Pineapple shell drink and cooked and blended rice with sugar.

Ice is added to all drinks to make them refreshing.

Traditional food from Cartagena that you find on the street

Iced coconut water

Popular sale of green coconut, it is served in its original packaging, a very sharp machete is in charge of peeling it a bit, opening a hole to insert a straw and that’s it! To sip the delicious ice cold coconut water. When the water is finished, the coconut is split in two and the soft meat is eaten.

Raspa’o

The raspa’o cart moves around the city offering a very coastal product:

Shaved ice, hence its name, served in a disposable cone and sweetened with essences of your choice, lemon, Kola, tamarind, you can add a crown of condensed milk that enhances its flavor. The ice with which it is made is a block that is transported uncovered, you must evaluate its hygiene.

Fruit stands

It is common to see a wheelbarrow or cart that offers a variety of tropical fruits, mango, papaya, banana (banana), melon, pineapple, watermelon, mango, as well as seasonal fruits such as suckling pig, plum. These carts offer your own fruti or salpicón, which is a hash of all the fruits in orange juice, thick to eat with a spoon.

Mango with salt and lemon

You find it on corners in wheelbarrows where they cut the mango into pieces and put them in a plastic bag. Add salt, lemon and pepper. If you are a foreigner and you want to try it, you can find carts in shopping centers and they cut the mango into strips.

Pandebono

Pandebono is a traditional Colombian cheese bread. If you come to Cartagena in all shopping centers you will find a Mr Bono stand. It is definitely something you should try in Cartagena.

Butifarra

Beef sausage seasoned with pepper, very popular and sold on the street. It is presented in the form of small balls joined together and is accompanied with a cassava bun. If you are a tourist and want to try it, it is better to go to the supermarket and buy the ones that come packed.

Bollos

The woman who sells the bollos that she transports in a basin on her head. The bollos come in different flavors and colors.

• Corn bollo, made in yellow corn.
• White corn mace clean bollo with cheese.
• Angelito sweet white corn bollo with coconut and anise
• Cassava bolo with a harder consistency and mild flavor.

Coffee

Colombia is known for its delicious coffee. You can find coffee in shopping centers like Juan Valdéz, Oma, Tostao. In many cafeterias and restaurants there are also gentlemen who walk with thermoses in the street who sell coffee.

Chicharrón

It is a portion of pork with skin that is fried in its own fat. In popular sales they are served with corn bun and corn bun. They are consumed as snacks in meetings.

Traditional desserts in Cartagena

Cocadas

Cocadas, a whole variety of small portions of sweet made with fruits and coconut. There are milk, pineapple and papaya Cocadas that take the name of caballito.

A sweet that represents the Caribbean spirit and its name evokes the feeling of the coast: Joy. La Alegría is a millet ball compacted with panela molasses and seasoned with caramelized coconut pieces and flavored with anise, a real delicacy!! Its sale is traditionally advertised by women of the palenquera race who, starting at 4 in the afternoon, sing out loud: joy with coconut and anise!!

Enyucado

Sweet grated cassava cake, roasted, seasoned with coconut and cheese.

These are just a few of the many delicious traditional dishes found in Cartagena. Whether you’re looking for seafood or meat-based dishes, Cartagena has something for everyone. So grab a table and enjoy the best traditional food in the city!

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