Colombian bocadillo

Guava paste cooked for a long time with raw cane sugar until firm and glossy, an orange-red colour. It is cut into blocks and traditionally eaten with fresh white cheese, as a dessert or snack.

1 h
6 servings
Medium
Budget-friendly
🇨🇴 Colombia

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Ingredients

Spices & seasoning

A pinch of salt

Optional extras

200 g Fresh white cheese or queso fresco, to serve

Instructions

Wash the guavas, cut them into quarters and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
Put the flesh and skin in a large pan with the water and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, until the fruit is very soft.
Blend finely, then pass the purée through a sieve to get a smooth pulp.
Return the pulp to the pan with the raw sugar, the split vanilla pod, the lemon juice and the pinch of salt.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, for about 30 to 40 minutes, until the paste comes away from the bottom of the pan and the spoon leaves a trail.
Pour into an oiled rectangular mould, remove the vanilla and let it cool.
Leave to set for at least 4 hours at room temperature, then unmould and cut into blocks.

Variations and tips

Using what you can find here. Fresh guavas are rare outside specialist markets; canned guava paste (guayaba en boîte) is prepared the same way, by melting it with the sugar.