Are you ready to get a taste
of my favorite place in the world? So many people I’ve talked to assume that
all food south of the US is spicy, soggy and gross. And to that I say
poppycock! If you want gross Mexican food, go to a seedy Tex Mex grill ran by
white kids. If you want authentic Mexican food go to Mexico. Because you won’t find either in our neck of
the woods! (Get this, not all Hispanic people are Mexican!)
I want to start off by
introducing you to a one-of-a-kind, completely authentic and original piece of
Venezuela. I’m talking about their national dish, the Arepa (ah-rey-puh), a
type of sandwich that is so versatile you can literally have one for every occasion
and every meal of the day. Not to mention, a hell of a lot healthier than normal sandwiches. So much so that doctors there actually recommend substituting arepas for sandwiches because of their low calorie and fat count. Awesome, no?
First you start with some
brand name Pan arepa dough mix, which is basically a corn meal/flour. Add some
salt to some water and mix it in until it becomes thick like regular dough.
Form this into a ball with the palm of your hand and then flatten it into a disc
shape. It can be super thin and really wide, or thicker and smaller, or even
little minis (so cute!). They can be grilled, fried, baked, steamed, boil the dough and make bollitos with butter
etc, but I prefer to put some oil in a big skillet (or a baking stone if you
have one) and cook them right on the stove top. When one side of the arepa gets
hard and browned a bit, it’s time to flip it and cook the other side. Depending
on your heat, size and thickness of your dough, it could take anywhere from
20-30 minutes. If you want to, you can pick up an arepa maker (similar to a
pancake maker) and make less than decent arepas in half the time. My advice? Go
traditional!
Now you’ll want to get the
heart of your arepa ready while it cooks. What is it for? If you’re going for
breakfast, do yourself a favor and mix up some eggs and cheese and meats like
bacon, ham or sausage. If you’re going for lunch you can get some sandwich
fixin’s like ham, turkey, roast beef, chicken, corned beef, even spam and your
favorite cheese and condiments. If you’re making dinner, you can always make
some seasoned pulled chicken, pork, or beef with savory vegetables and sauces
which you’ll no doubt be licking off your fingers. Did I mention there is such
a thing as dessert arepas?
Mmmmm
Don’t forget your cup of
coffee…Venezuela has THE BEST coffee. They say Colombia has the best coffee…but
they’re wrong. I am not a coffee person in the least, but after tasting the
sweet, nutty, rich and full flavor of the Venezuelan coffee bean I’ve never
looked back. If you want the best coffee in the world, get your hands on some
authentic Venezuelan brand coffee. But be warned…everything else will taste
like shit afterwards.
The best.
Another one of my favorite
things to eat in Venezuela is the almighty cachapa. A deliciously griddled corn
pancake which is traditionally served with queso de mano (cheese made by hand)
is a compliment to any dish or a dish all on its own at any meal of the day. If
you get the chance, look up a cachapa recipe online and try it yourself. Make
sure the corn is fresh for best results.
After a long day of enjoying
traditional favorites, why not kick back with your buddies, enjoy a Polar (for
the beer lovers) and gobble down some empanadas, tequeños, and pastelitos? Tequeños
are like fried cheese sticks 2.0, and pastelitos (literally, little pie) are
like pierogies but vary in size and are made with a different dough and fried.
Empanadas are similar, often made with either a corn or regular kind of dough…and
filled with amazing deliciousness and just dripping with essence of heaven.
Yes, they’re that good.
So if you’re down that way,
give me a holler and let me know how your experience was. Or I can give you
some authentic family recipes that the internet just can’t provide ;)
Stay strong and love on!
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