Mecato, is the Colombian term for all those finger-licking Colombian snacks and Colombian candy you’ll find on street carts.
Eaten at any time of the day, these Colombian snacks (mecato) bring back fond childhood memories for all Colombians.
In case you forgot the colorful selection of mecato Colombiano that exists, let me stir up the dust with a list of 30 popular Colombian snacks and Colombian candy that are sure to bring back sweet memories.
Equivalent to the American Starburst. This mecato Colombiano is part of every Colombian’s diet.
This Colombian snack has an Asian equivalent. Both sweet and salty, it consists of peanuts with a crunchy batter on the outside.
This mecato Colombiano is a Twinkie on steroids, with jelly that accompanies the creamy filling and covered in chocolate.
Chocoramo is my all-time favorite mecato Colombiano. Yellow cake with chocolate-flavored covering. So simple, but sooo good.
A Colombian snack equivalent to American Fritos.
The ultimate traditional mecato Colombiano. Crunchy and highly addictive cheese rings puffs.
This Colombian snack probably has the same recipe as the one above. Crunchy cheese balls without the orange powder.
Nucita is another mecato Colombiano that’s very similar to an Asian snack I know. White and Milk chocolate dips. Just missing the bread sticks to dip in.
This Colombian snack is like Doritos but more fun. Each chip is like a small crunchy corn pillow.
This mecato Colombiano always stands out on the street carts due to it’s bright colors. A mix of plantains chips, potato chips and chicharron, this is as Colombian as they get.
Chocolatina Jet is the most popular chocolate bar in Colombia. This Colombian candy is equivalent to Hershey’s in the U.S.
Achiras are a Colombian snack originating from the department of Huila. They are gluten-free crunchy cheese fingers. Yumm!
I’ve never tried this Colombian Candy because I get weird about it. It literally translates to foot gelatin mixed with panela and cinnamon. Take a look at how it’s made here.
This Colombian candy is the equivalent of U.S Pop Rocks in powder form.
Guava Sweets typically served with fresh cheese cubes. Although this Colombian candy or desert sounds weird, the combo of flavors between the cheese and the fruit goes quite well.
I always find this Colombian snack being sold at the entrance of the Transmilenio in Bogota. As you can see, it’s packaged cheese, caramel or butter popcorn.
Ok, so this is actually Venezuelan, but it’s still a very popular candy in Colombian. It’s a long cookie wafer with levels of coconut goodness.
Starbursts in long stick form. There’s a similar version of this Colombian candy in France called Carambar.
Similar to Dulce de Leche, I still can’t tell the difference 4 years later. Arequipe should be the national sweet spread. Colombians like to eat it from the pot or spread it on fruit and obleas (wafer disks).
Translating the arepa craze into a Colombian snack, we present you arepa corn chips. Thin and crispy and buttery!
You might know a Colombian (or be that Colombian) that gifts this Colombian candy abroad. PLEASE STOP! I’ve never met anyone that’s really liked these coffee-flavored caramels. 1 is OK, but not the whole bag.
This Colombian candy originates from the French dragées, hard candy-covered almonds. In France, they are typically found in weddings and baptisms. However, the Colombian version has a thicker coat of sugar around them. Careful with your teeth when consuming this Colombian snack!
Coconut Caramel. Definitely one of my favorite mecatos colombianos.
I really like this Colombian cookie. It’s a plain biscuit, but instead of sugar, Colombians use panela or raw sugar cane, giving it that extra oomph.
Oat smoothies are a common Colombian snack. I personally like the cinnamon-flavored one from Alpina. This is another one of my favorite mecatos colombianos.
Although I never have this, I love this mecato colombiano. It’s a thick yogurt custard. Similar to the French ‘Petit Suisse’. This takes you right back to childhood.
Yogurt with marmalade. Who can resist this Colombian snack?
Like Coffee Delight, BonBonBums are also a popular Colombian candy to take abroad. Although the flavors aren’t particularly exotic, I’m pretty sure these suckers bring back happy memories of la tierra querida.
Colombian Skittles.
Copelia is coconut with sugar. I absolutely love coconut but for some reason, I personally don’t like any cocadas.
This mecato Colombiano is not what it sounds like. It’s just a wafer cookie with arequipe and bocadillo!
There’s probably a ton more Colombian snacks I don’t know about out. Which Colombian snacks or candy did you grow up with? Leave me a message in the comment box below!
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ive been to medellín and out of them 30 items ive only seen like 4 of them 😂
You can see them all in the puesticos in the street 😊
hahaha, quipitos, I know the guy who created quipitos and when the product was launched back in the 80s he asked me if my little daughter could be in the advertisement, and she was. What about barquillos?