Craving some Latin food? You are in for a treat! This week’s Cultural Tidbits Monday will showcase some simple Venezuelan food recipes. Learn how to cook arepas and cachapas!
Arepas and cachapas: What are they?
Arepas are like thicker tortillas, made with flour and/or ground corn dough. Sometimes even coconut is added to the mix! While they are one of the most popular Venezuelan dishes, arepas are also part of Dominican cuisine and Puerto Rican fast food.
Venezuelan arepas stuffed with sausage chimichurri (bottom) and glorified tostones (“canoes” with cheese on top) at Caracas Arepa Bar in NYC
Another Venezuelan specialty is the cachapas. Also popular in neighboring Colombia, these are basically South American pancake tacos. That’s right: a thicker batter, but made of fresh corn dough, with the slight sweetness of a plain American pancake.
Once ready, you may stuff it with all types of meats and cheeses: Pulled pork, chicken, beef, and even shrimp! The most traditional cachapa, however, is plain cheese: made with delicious queso de mano. Meaning “handmade cheese,” it resembles mozarella in texture, although it has a milder flavor to it.
A Venezuelan cachapa with pulled pork, sliced tomato, avocado, side of aioli (entitee, Flickr)
Simple Venezuelan food recipes: VIDEOS and other resources
Want to see how easy it is to bake arepas? All you need:
2 cups of Harina P.A.N. flour
2 cups of water
A pinch of salt
Once baked, you pan-fry them until golden. That’s it! For the full recipe, click here. Once they are done, however, you have just created the canvas — it is time to paint on it!
Mmmm. And that’s not all: You’ll learn how to cook cachapas today as well! Go get:
Freshest corn you can find
1/2 cup of flour
1 teaspon of salt
5 tablespoons of sugar (you want tthat sweet afterbite)
1 egg
A bit of heavy cream (for density)
Enjoy! Let me know how your arepas and cachapas mixtas come out 😉
Hello!, thanks for the videos, are very good, I have a lot time searching for a good recipe of cachapa, please, do you have too the recipe of the meat? I’ll be happy.
Greetings from Dominican Republic!
I would personally use adobo to season the meat — that should be enough. Otherwise, just follow the directions of the video above, it is quite specific and good!
Mmm, I want cachapas! That pulled pork looks SOOO delicious. Tengo hambre!
haha, coming back to this post made me hungry as well!
If you are wondering what that is on your screen, it’s my drool.
L.O.L.
I had never heard anything about Venezuelan cuisine before either – and it looks delicious! Beyond my abilities in the kitchen though so I might just have to go to Venezuela to try some of these dishes. 🙂
the recipes are easy! I say you try them anyway 😉
One doesn’t often hear of Venezuelan food. Everything looks yummy 🙂
that is true, Sophie. Maybe I should write a post about other Venezuelan dishes…? 🙂
Just got back from my first South American trip, and found arepas everywhere in Colombia – delicious but FILLING. I am lucky enough to have a Venezuelan arepa joint near my house, and I could eat those FOREVER…
mmmm right? I have only had South American food in the US. Believe it or not, I haven’t made it to that continent yet! Can’t wait. The ones I’ve had so far have been absolutely delicious. And yes, they are very very filling!