The Times Cook in Colombia

We sampled the richly flavoured and varied costeño cooking of Cartagena on the Caribbean coast, with its spicy fish stews and tropical fruit, and everywhere the sweet smell of fried coconut, which is so much a feature of Cartagena’s kitchens. We ate grilled sweet lobster, were tempted by the Chinese loncheriàs, and bought fruit on the beach from the palanqueràs, vividly dressed women selling pineapples, mangos, bananas, medlars, limes, watermelons and papaya. Roadside stalls sold corn cakes, fried chicken and tropical fruit juice.