Cholados (Colombian Snow Cones with Fruit)

A cholado is a creamy marriage of a snow cone and a fruit cocktail. This combination of fruit syrup, sweetened condensed milk, and tropical fruits over crushed ice is a refreshing, favorite way to cool off on a warm day in Colombia.

What is a cholado?

A magical fusion of colors and flavors, cholado (or cholao) is a typical product of Cali, Colombia.

If it’s hot, people in Colombia go out to eat cholado. (Like paletas in Mexico.)

Eating cholado is a must for visitors during all twelve months of the year. In the holiday season or during large festivals, such as the Petronio Álvarez or the Cali Fair, sales are always higher than usual.

There are many families that support themselves financially thanks to the cholado, because it is also a business that brings them all together: father, mother, children, and other relatives.

This product began to be called ‘cholado’ from the fusion of two words: ‘cholos’ and ‘helado’. ‘Cholos’ is as a tribute to the indigenous and mestizo population of Colombia. And ‘helado’ means ice cream.

It’s recorded that this Colombian snow cone, initially created to alleviate the hangover, arrived in Cali at the end of the 1980s by the hand of the Bonilla, the Carabalí, and other families who moved to the city and set up the first cholado businesses.

The Cali touch was given in the diversity of fruits that you can find in these cold treats.

What are the ingredients in cholados?

Shaved ice, red or yellow syrup, various types of fruits that range from sweet to citrus, crunchy wafer cookies, blackberry or strawberry jam, and sweetened condensed milk, are the ingredients for a cholao.

But each ‘choladero’ (a person that sells cholados) adds a special touch that makes their creation unique. They vary in the fruits they use, in the form of presentation, and in the type of jam they use.

What fruit to use in cholados?

If you talk to a Colombian, you’ll hear that a good cholado must have guanabana (soursop) and lulo pulp (golden apple, Japanese bitter orange). If you want to venture a try, you can order these 2 products online.

Traditionally, fresh fruit is used. But canned fruit can be used with good success.

For our recipe, I used papaya, pineapple, mango, passion fruit, and bananas.

Here is where your imagination comes to play. Try different combinations of your favorite fruits!

Some ideas are:

• berries and peaches
• peaches, kiwi, bananas
• pineapple, shredded coconut, bananas

Choosing a fruit syrup

Each seller has a secret recipe for their syrup. You have the option to use store bought fruit syrups or make your own.

These syrups are super easy to make, and can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Making shaved ice

I used a food processor to crush the ice very fine, like you would get for a snow cone.

Once crushed you can place the ice in a container and keep it in the freezer for a few days before using it.

How to assemble a cholado

Start by drizzling condensed milk in each cup. Fill half of the cup with crushed ice. Pour 2 tablespoons of fruit syrup.

Add a tablespoon of each fruit you desire. Drizzle more sweetened condensed milk.

Repeat with another layer of ice, syrup, fruits, sweetened condensed milk, and if desired, a tablespoon of strawberry jam.

Add an apple slice, and a vanilla wafer cookie just before serving.

This is a quick easy summer treat that is fun to make and easy to customize to different tastes. It’ll cool you down in a snap on a warm summer’s day.