Colombian Independence Festival

Do you know me?

My last bite at the recent Colombia Independence Day Festival was a very crunchy orange cookie, all nooks and crannies, smothered in orange goo and (I believe) condensed milk. A "solo" ($3), the vendor called it, though he mentioned some more-elaborate Spanish name that I didn't take time to note. (It's "solterita," I've since learned.)

Also at this very crowded festival, whose mainway was patrolled by several squads of watchful police officers as well as a burly private security crew: a rather bland tamale Valluno, from the Valle del Cauca Department, which includes the capital, Cali; an underfilled alcapurria; and in profile, a cup of champú (chom-Poo). (See a pineapple-heavy version at Aqui Colombia Antojitos, where it's called champús.) Both champú and mazato (which eluded the lens, but not my lips) typically include brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and lulo, a tropical fruit that supplies a greenish cast. Mazato comes on smooth, while champú pumps up the volume with coconut, pineapple, corn kernels, and other such that might be at hand.

Colombia Independence Day Festival
Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens
Mid-July

Comments

[JARED]

Great festival! I always am on the lookout for a guy who brings empanadas that his wife cooked at home and sells them for $1 from his bike usually on the path from the subway to the main festivities. Best ever!

[RecipeOfTheWeek]

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