Caribbean Colombian
Cartagena-Barranquilla coast — arroz con coco, posta negra, arepa de huevo.
Cazuela de Mariscos
Cartagena seafood casserole: shrimp, fish, squid, mussels, clams in coconut-tomato-butter broth
View page →Caribbean Colombian cuisine — the food of Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, and the entire Caribbean coast — is the most-traveled of Colombia's regional cuisines, the food tourists encounter when they visit Cartagena's walled city or attend Barranquilla's carnival. The kitchen is tropical, seafood-centric, and heavily influenced by African and Spanish-colonial heritage. Arroz con coco (coconut rice with caramelized titoté flakes) is the universal coastal rice; mojarra frita (whole fried tilapia) is the universal coastal lunch; posta negra cartagenera (panela-and-burnt-sugar-braised beef) is the special-occasion centerpiece.
The coastal table differs from inland Colombian cuisine in three key ways: heavy use of coconut (Pacific-coast Afro influence brought to the Caribbean), the morning institution of arepa de huevo (fried egg-stuffed corn pocket), and the pace of seafood — every coastal town has a midday seafood market where the morning's catch arrives. Cartagena, with its UNESCO-listed colonial walled city, is the cuisine's tourist face; Barranquilla, larger and grittier, is where most Caribbean Colombian cooks actually live. Modern Caribbean Colombian restaurants in Bogotá and abroad are bringing coastal flavors to inland audiences.
The Palate
Start Here
The titoté must brown before water is added — adding too early creates plain coconut rice without the dish's signature mahogany flavor.
Why start here · Arroz con Coco is the universal Caribbean Coast rice — eaten with every seafood meal in Cartagena.
The burnt sugar must caramelize to near-charcoal — that's where the dish's signature smoke-mahogany color and depth come from.
Why start here · Posta Negra Cartagenera is the Cartagena celebration dish — what restaurants serve to visiting dignitaries.
Slit the arepa only on one edge to make a pocket — don't slice through.
Why start here · Arepa de Huevo is the Cartagena morning institution — sold at every Caribbean-coast street stall from 5 AM.
The Pantry
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Herbs & Spices
Dairy & Fats
Sauces & Condiments
How They Cook
Techniques that define this cuisine
Signature Dishes (5)
Other regions
Siblings within Colombian — each its own tradition.