Colombian cuisine is unique and flavorful, and they never skip dessert. Here are some of their favorites.

• Merengue: Not to be confused with the creamy, airy meringue common in North America, Colombian merengue is made with egg whites, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla, all whipped together. The final batter is formed into swirly shapes and allowed to dry. The final result is a crisp, crunchy treat that tastes like cake frosting.
• Dulce de Tomate de Arbol (Tree Tomato Dessert): Tree tomatoes are a reddish, egg-shaped fruit native to northern South America. They get their name from their color as well as the fact that they taste vaguely like tomatoes. Fresh, they are very tart and difficult to eat. Colombians make juice out of them or peel them and boil them in thick sugar water, which produces dulce de tomate de arbol. They will give the same treatment to other fruits, such as blackberries or peaches.
• Cocadas (Coconut Balls): Popular on the coast, cocadas are sticky balls of shaved coconut held together with a caramelized sugar. This sticky, chewy treat is often sold on the streets by people who make them at home to earn a little extra money.
• Arequipe (Caramel): Arequipe isn’t rally caramel as it is known to North Americans, but it looks and tastes similar. This very traditional dessert is made by boiling milk and sugar down into a thick syrup or paste. Different people have different recipes for it, some adding cinnamon or other ingredients. Known as “dulce de leche” in other parts of the world, it is eaten on cookies or biscuits or even served on ice cream.
• Postre de Natas (Cream Dessert): Postre de natas is a traditional dessert made with milk, sugar and egg yolks, topped off with raisins. It’s a little like a sweet pudding. Natas are actually the film that develops on the surface of whole milk when it boils: the traditional recipe for this dessert calls for these to be skimmed off and used.
• Pastel de Tres Leches (Three Milk Cake): Pastel de tres leches is a popular dessert in many parts of northern South America. Made with evaporated milk, fresh milk and condensed milk, the end result is a sweet cake that has a soggy texture that takes a little getting used to. It can be found all over Colombia and Ecuador (recipe).
• Casquitos de Guayaba (Candied Guava Peels): The Guayaba (English: Guava) is a round fruit about the size of an apple. It consists of a reddish, pulpy interior with seeds. Usually the inside pulp is eaten or made into jelly. In general, the peel is discarded, but this traditional dessert is made by slicing the peel, soaking it in lemon juice for about an hour, then boiling them in sugary water for twenty minutes or so until they’re soft. The result is a sweet-sour, sugary treat popular as a relatively light dessert.