About the dish
The arepa is the everyday bread of Venezuela and Colombia – a flat, round cake of cooked-corn flour baked on a hot griddle called a budare and often finished in the oven. Corn once had to be boiled and ground at home; today almost everyone uses ready-made precooked corn flour. Arepas are eaten for breakfast, dinner and any time in between: with butter and cheese, scrambled eggs, shredded beef or black beans. In Venezuela an arepera is a diner where you choose a filling from a long list, while in Colombia the arepa often sits beside other dishes as an accompaniment. The dough needs only flour, water and salt, so arepas are ready in minutes.
Main ingredients
- precooked corn flour
- water
- salt
- butter
- white cheese
Colombia: In Colombia arepas are usually thinner and served alongside a meal; regions have their own kinds, such as sweetish arepa de choclo, cheesy boyacense or the fried, egg-filled arepa de huevo from the coast.
Venezuela: In Venezuela the arepa is split and stuffed – for instance with chicken and avocado salad (reina pepiada) or black beans and white cheese (dominó).
More: Wikipedia (pl) Wikipedia (en)
