Having had to give up wine tasting (in excess), I found myself a new ‘Colombian’ habit at Hermanus’ Nourish Cafe in the form of Las Paletas’ glorious gourmet ice lollies. With flavours like pineapple & chilli; coconut lemonade; strawberry sorbet; watermelon & mint; granadilla gelato and recently released hibiscus – a whole rainbow of frozen bliss awaits!
Husband and wife team, Jason and Diana, head up Las Paletas: the company/concept inspired by a simple supper club. After an impressive dinner hosted by friends, they decided to up the ante and ‘do something different’ when their turn came. And since Diana heralds from Colombian, they decided to present traditional specialty Bocadillo con Queso (literally guava paste with cheese) with a refreshing twist by freezing it into individual portions and serving as ice lollies. The dessert was a hit… and the business developed organically from there as more and more people started asking for their frozen Colombian cheesecake.
Do yourselves a favour and track them down: try one yourself and you’ll understand why I’ve developed this artisan addiction. You can find Las Paletas ‘dealers’ on Thursdays and Saturdays at the Cape Town City Bowl Market on Hope Street, The Foodbarn Deli in Noordhoek, Nourish Cafe in Hermanus and Thirst in Johannesburg.
If you’re planning a wedding or a special occasion dinner/birthday party and want to add an unexpected element of fun, serve your guests a Las Paletas lollie (or three). Dense and delicious, you can choose between healthy fresh fruit sorbets or more decadent creamy treats: there’s a flavour to suit any palate.
So – what’s your favourite?
JOHANNESBURG
Thirst
