Origins
If there is one smell that defines Cartagena, it is that of coconut. Not the one from the beach, but the one that comes out of the kitchens: that sweet, toasted aroma that has mixed with the sweat of the Plaza de los Coches for centuries. But the coconut did not arrive in the city as a dessert ingredient. It arrived as a medium of exchange.
In colonial Cartagena, during the 16th and 17th centuries, the coconut was as valuable as gold. The enslaved people brought from Africa already knew the fruit, but in the Colombian Caribbean they found a close relative. The indigenous Zenú people, who inhabited the region, already used coconut to make oil and fermented drinks. However, the real business began when European merchant ships needed provisions for their long voyages. Coconuts were exchanged for dried fish, salt, and cloth. A large coconut could be worth a pound of salted fish. Thus, the oldest commercial relationship of Cartagena's gastronomy with this fruit was born.
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The curious thing is that the coconut we associate today with the Caribbean is not native to America. It arrived from Southeast Asia, probably brought by Polynesian navigators or Spaniards who transported it as a source of drinking water on their voyages. In Cartagena, the coconut palm found an ideal climate: heat, humidity, and sandy soils. The first crops were recorded in the Rosario Islands and on the coast of La Boquilla, where fishermen learned to use every part of the fruit: the water for drinking, the pulp for cooking, the husk for making charcoal, and the leaves for roofing their homes.
Timeline or Historical Milestones
16th Century: Coconut as Barter Currency
The first written records of coconut in Cartagena appear in the chronicles of the conquistadors. In 1535, Pedro de Heredia mentions that the indigenous people of the region exchanged coconuts for metal objects. By 1580, the port of Cartagena was already exporting dried coconut to Spain and other colonies. Slave ships also used it as food for the enslaved during the voyage.
17th Century: Black Cocada is Born in a Convent
The most fascinating story of coconut in Cartagena takes place in the Santa Clara convent, now a luxury hotel. The Poor Clare nuns, who arrived in 1621, needed to generate income to maintain the convent. Since they could not go out to sell, they began preparing sweets with the ingredients they had on hand: grated coconut, panela (unrefined brown sugar), and cloves. Thus, black cocada was born, a dark, almost black candy that was slowly caramelized in clay pots. The original recipe was kept secret for decades, passed from nun to nun. Today, although the convent no longer produces sweets, black cocada remains a symbol of Cartagena's pastry tradition.
18th Century: Coconut Rice Becomes a National Dish
By the 18th century, coconut rice was already a common dish on the tables of Cartagena. But it was not the sweet rice that many imagine. The original version, the one cooked by the enslaved in the kitchens of colonial houses, was savory. It was prepared with rice, freshly squeezed coconut milk, salt, and sometimes dried fish or shrimp. Sweet coconut rice, the kind served with fried fish today, is a more recent invention, from the late 19th century, when sugar became more accessible. The paradox is that many tourists believe coconut rice was always sweet, when in fact its origin is savory and humble.
19th Century: Coconut Soup and Fish in Coconut Milk
Fish soup with coconut milk, locally known as "coconut soup," became popular in the markets of Cartagena in the mid-19th century. Fishermen from La Boquilla and Tierrabomba Island arrived at dawn with their daily catch. The cooks at the Getsemaní market bought the cheap fish —sometimes the unsold ones— and cooked it with coconut milk, onion, garlic, and sweet chili pepper. The result was a creamy, slightly spicy soup, served with white rice and patacones. To this day, coconut soup remains a staple dish, prepared in the humblest homes and also in the most elegant restaurants.
20th Century: Industrialization and the Loss of Techniques
With the arrival of canned coconut milk and industrial grated coconut, many traditional techniques began to be lost. The manual extraction of coconut milk, which required grating the pulp and squeezing it by hand, was replaced by mechanical processes. Coconut vinegar, which the fishermen of La Boquilla fermented in wooden barrels, almost disappeared. However, in recent decades, a culinary rescue movement has brought these practices back. Young chefs are rediscovering coconut as a versatile ingredient, far beyond dessert.
Key Figures or Events
The Nuns of the Santa Clara Convent and the Black Cocada
The recipe for black cocada is one of Cartagena's best-kept secrets. It is said that the Poor Clare nuns used a special technique to caramelize the panela without it crystallizing. The process took hours, and the exact point was known only by the most experienced nuns. When the convent closed its kitchen in the 19th century, the recipe was dispersed among the families who had worked there. Today, black cocada can be found in the candy shops of the historic center, but the original version, from the convent, is considered lost. Some food historians believe the secret was to add a little ash from the coconut husk to achieve that dark color and creamy texture.
The Fishermen of La Boquilla and Coconut Vinegar
In La Boquilla, a fishing village 15 minutes from downtown Cartagena, coconut is used in ways that would surprise any chef. One of the most fascinating is coconut vinegar. Fishermen collect the water from mature coconuts, strain it, and let it ferment in clay containers for several weeks. The result is a mild, slightly sweet vinegar, which they use to dress fish salads and marinate meats. This technique, passed down from generation to generation, is in danger of extinction. Today, only a handful of families in La Boquilla still produce coconut vinegar artisanally. In May 2026, some local chefs are working with them to commercialize the product and prevent it from being lost.
Doña Carmen, the Last Fried Coconut Cook at Plaza de los Coches
At Plaza de los Coches, right next to the Clock Tower, there is a stall that seems frozen in time. Doña Carmen, a 78-year-old woman, has been selling fried coconut for over 50 years. It is not a complicated dish: pieces of fresh coconut, coated in corn flour and fried in hot oil. They are served with salt and lime. But the flavor is addictive. Doña Carmen says she learned the recipe from her grandmother, who in turn learned it from a cook at the Getsemaní market. Fried coconut was a poor man's food, a quick snack for port workers. Today, it is a craving for tourists and locals alike. Doña Carmen's stall has no name, but it is easy to find: it is the one that always has a line.
Current Status
Today, coconut in Cartagena is experiencing a renaissance. It is no longer just the ingredient for coconut rice or cocadas. Young chefs are exploring unusual uses: fermented coconut milk for yogurts, cold-pressed coconut oil for cooking, and even coconut ice cream with sweet chili pepper. In the city's restaurants, coconut appears in dishes ranging from ceviches to deconstructed desserts.
But the real wealth is on the street. At Plaza de los Coches, besides Doña Carmen's fried coconut, you can find whole coconuts with a hole in the top, ready to drink the fresh water. On Calle de la Sierpe, candy shops sell white, black, and colored cocadas. At the Bazurto market, cooks prepare coconut soup every day, using recipes that have been passed from mothers to daughters for generations.
For curious foodies, there is an experience not to be missed: the "Coconut from Sea to Table" cooking workshop, held in the San Pedro neighborhood, in a restored colonial house. The workshop lasts four hours and includes a visit to the Bazurto market to buy ingredients, the preparation of three dishes (coconut soup, savory coconut rice, and black cocada), and a pairing with aged Cartagena rum. The cost is approximately $120,000 COP per person (reference price as of May 2026). It is recommended to book at least two days in advance, as spots are limited.
Coconut in Cartagena is not just an ingredient. It is a testament to the city's history: the mix of cultures, the resilience of traditions, and the ability to reinvent itself. The next time you bite into a black cocada or take a sip of coconut soup, remember that you are tasting centuries of history in every bite.