Bocadillo Veleno

Guava is boiled with sugar until the paste sets firm enough to cut, and the Velez version is distinguished by two things: it is usually made in two layers, a red one from ripe guava and a white one from guava with more sugar or from a different stage, pressed together; and it is wrapped in bijao leaves, dried and cut to size, which both hold the block and pass a faint vegetal note into the paste over time. The leaves come from a plant grown for the purpose in the region. It carries a protected denomination of origin in Colombia. Workshops in and around Velez still make it in open pans, and the product travels well enough that it is the standard thing to bring back from Santander.

What you actually see

• Two layers pressed together - red ripe guava and a paler sweeter one.
• Bijao leaf wrapping - which flavours the paste as it sits.
• Open-pan cooking - in workshops around Velez.
• A protected denomination - registered in Colombia.

When to go

Year round. A workshop visit.

Honest expectations

It is very sweet - a small piece goes a long way. Supermarket versions in plastic are not the same as leaf-wrapped ones. Workshops are small businesses, not visitor attractions, and access varies. Velez is a long way from the main routes.

Nearby

Barichara and San Gil are east; Bucaramanga is north-east.