The same fritter, under the same name, turns up across the border as a Panamanian street-food staple too — a shared legacy of the coastal food culture that once linked Cartagena and Panama.
Boiled yuca is mashed into dough, wrapped around a filling of shredded seasoned beef, then shaped into an oblong and deep-fried until golden and slightly crackled. Coastal breakfast stalls sell them hot, often next to arepa de huevo.