Firstly, what is an arepa? An arepa is a round, fairly flat type of sandwich (to put it crudely) made from maíz and is eaten at breakfast, lunch and dinner time in Venezuela. It is one of their most popular foods and children invariably take an arepa with them to school to enjoy as part of their 'merienda', meaning ‘snack’ in Spanish.
Arepa Ingredients
The following ingredients are needed in order to make a traditional Venezuelan arepa...
- Harina de maíz (the corn flour used to make a number of different Venezuelan dishes)
- A little oil
- Water
- A little salt
- Butter or margarine (Venezuelans love to cook with margarine) for the actual frying
Things to Remember When Making Arepa
When making a good arepa, everything about the actual base or dough (‘masa’ in Spanish) is the most important thing. Too much water can make the masa dry and therefore it’s difficult to mould the arepa into shape. Too much water can mean that the arepa simply won’t hold itself together. This is more than a slight problem, considering that the arepa is eaten like a sandwich and so it needs to be fairly strong.
How toMmake the Arepa Masa (Dough)
The following steps will make the masa needed for between 3 – 4 arepas easily.
- Put about 4 -5 large dessert spoons of the corn flour into a bowl.
- Add a tiny amount of oil (about 2 tsps) and a little salt to taste (this is optional).
- Slowly begin to add cold water and work it into the flour to make a dough.
- The corn flour will absorb the water slowly, so be patient and avoid adding more, thinking that the dough is too dry.
- When the substance has expanded, but is not so wet that it cannot be easily made into a ball between the hands, it is ready.
How to Make and Cook an Arepa from the Masa
The following steps explain how to make the actual arepa from the masa.
- Work a portion of the masa into a round ball.
- Then beat it backwards and forwards in between the hands in order to make a flattened, but fairly thick pancake (roughly the thickness of a deep crust pizza, but the diameter of a round pitta bread).
- In pre-heated margarine or butter, cook the arepa in a frying pan (a large pan should be big enough to cook 4 arepas at the same time). Make sure the heat is as low as it can go and that the pan is covered.
- Leave the arepa to cook on one side until that side of the arepa is golden in colour and crispy to the touch. Flip each arepa in turn and leave them to cook until the other side matched the first exactly.
How to Serve the Cooked Arepa in a True Venezuelan Style
There are many fillings to be enjoyed in an arepa, but the following combinations are by far the most traditional.
- Fried meat with onions and spices.
- Fried chicken with onions and spices.
- Ham and cheese.
- Tuna, onion and tomato (all chopped up in a cold form with mayonnaise).
Cut the cooked arepa through the middle, opening it up like a pitta bread and add the filling. It is also customary to eat the arepa with different sauces, pouring each sauce onto a little of the arepa with each bite. It is not uncommon to have a number of different sauces either, enjoying a different sauce with every mouthful.
Accompaniments to be Eaten with the Arepa
It is also customary to eat the arepa with different sauces, pouring each sauce onto a little of the arepa with each bite. It is not uncommon either to have a number of different sauces with each arepa, enjoying a different sauce with every mouthful.
Types of sauces range from the basic mustard, tomato ketchup, spicy sauce and mayonnaise to more creative choices that include different herbs and sometimes cheeses too. Here, it is possible to be very creative with the arepa.
The arepa is a fantastically taste dish. It is not very healthy, but it is very filling. Great comfort food to be had at any time of the day or night for very little cash!
Tracey Chandler - Tracey Chandler currently writes a weekly column for non-profit organisation South American Explorers in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She also ...
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