Latin American Ingredients: Cassava or Yuca in Colombia

Have you ever tried to peel a tree?

It’s not easy. You can just imagine trying to get that knife in there, sticking it in at the right angle to be able to peel off that thick layer of bark. Stab. Twist. Snap.

As silly as that seems, that’s how I feel when I try to peel yuca, often called cassava in English. Although it’s one of my favorite root vegetables, yuca comes with a thick bark covering that I do hate. And peeling off that hairy outer layer is about as appealing as trying to peel bark off a tree.

However, underneath you’ll find the creamy white skin of one of the best underground pleasures in Latin America.

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Food Markets in Colombia: Paloquemao

Food markets in Colombia do an outstanding job of representing the country. They're not so much about the fruits and vegetables; food markets also collect culture, the telltale bits of life that reveal who people are, what they value, and what their daily routine is like. Discover Paloquemao market with us.

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Shhhh! Speakeasy, please

We arrived at the door and stared blankly at it.

“Is this the place?” Peter asked, doubt and worry in his voice. He stepped up to the darkened windows and tried to peer in.

I fidgeted on the doorstep. Was this the address? Were we on the wrong street? It’s an easy mistake to make when you depend on Bogota’s notoriously bizarre street numbering system.

I looked for a doorbell but there wasn’t one, and the door was firmly shut against the world.

Just then the door swung open and a thin-faced man with serious eyes and heavy stubble looked at us. He didn’t say a word.

What was I supposed to do? What should I say? Was there a password we should recite, or would he simply recognize my name?

He swung the door open wide. “Come on in.”

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