Some foods nourish us, while others also make us feel at home. For many Venezuelans living in Spain, arepas are one of those foods.
Making them can be an easy way to recapture familiar flavors, share a recipe with friends, or keep up little traditions while away from Venezuela. And the best part is that you only need a few ingredients to get started.
What are Venezuelan arepas?
Arepas are a traditional corn-based dish, round and flat in shape, that are cooked on a griddle, in a budare, or in a skillet. In Venezuela, they are a staple of the daily diet and can be eaten at any time of day.
Although there are different arepa traditions throughout Latin America, Venezuelan arepas stand out for their variety of fillings, ranging from shredded beef and cheese to chicken, avocado, or black beans.
Ingredients for Making Venezuelan Arepas at Home
With this basic recipe, you can make approximately 8 medium arepas.
Ingredients:
- 400 g of precooked cornmeal for arepas.
- About 600 ml of warm water.
- 1 teaspoon of salt.
- A little oil to grease the skillet or griddle, if needed.
How to Make the Dough:
- Dissolve the salt in warm water.
- Add the flour little by little while mixing with your hands.
- Knead until the mixture is smooth, moist, and easy to shape.
- Let it sit for about 5 minutes so the flour can absorb the water.
- Divide the dough into portions, shape them into balls, and flatten them into discs about 1.5 cm thick.
The amount of water may vary slightly depending on the flour. If the dough cracks when you shape it, add a little more water; if it's too sticky, add a little more flour.
The trick to making sure they're cooked just right: Cook over medium heat and let them brown on both sides. They'll take about 5–7 minutes per side, depending on their thickness. If you prefer, you can finish cooking them in the oven to ensure the inside is cooked through.
What are the most popular fillings for Venezuelan arepas?
One of the great things about arepas is that you can adapt them to your tastes and the ingredients you have on hand. Here are some of the most popular combinations:
- Queen Pepiada: shredded chicken, avocado, and a creamy mixture that usually contains mayonnaise.
- Pelúa: shredded beef and grated yellow cheese.
- Dominoes: black beans and white cheese.
- Sifrina: chicken, avocado, and yellow cheese.
- Perico: Scrambled eggs with tomatoes and onions, a common breakfast choice.
You can also fill them with cheese, ham, eggs, or leftovers from a meal. You don't have to follow every recipe to the letter to enjoy a good arepa.
Where can I buy Venezuelan flour and ingredients in Spain?
The key is to look for precooked cornmeal specifically for arepas. It is not the same as cornstarch or any other type of corn flour, since these do not necessarily provide the right texture for making dough.
You can find it at various stores, depending on where you live:
- Stores selling Latin American products: They are usually a good option for finding brands of precooked flour, beans, sauces, and other common ingredients in Venezuelan cuisine.
- Supermarkets with international sections: Some stores sell precooked flour and other Latin American products, although availability varies by store.
- Specialty online stores: These can come in handy if you live in a small town or can't find a specific ingredient close to home.
Brands like P.A.N. or Juana are some examples you can look for on the packaging. As for fillings, if you can't find the exact same cheese or ingredient you used in Venezuela, you can try alternatives available in Spain.
Cooking Arepas Far from Venezuela
When you move to a new place, some everyday habits take on a different meaning. Preparing a family recipe, sharing it with friends, or teaching someone how to make their first arepa can become a way to stay connected to your homeland.
And it doesn't have to be exactly the same as before. You can adjust the ingredients, try new fillings, and create your own versions without losing the essence of the recipe.
In the end, arepas are also a way to share Venezuelan culture with the people you meet in your new life.
Curiara: Maintaining connections is also about the little things
Sometimes, feeling at home starts with something as simple as a family recipe. In Curiara We want to help you maintain that connection even when you need to send money to Venezuela or other Latin American countries from Europe—easily and securely.
Because building a new life far from home doesn't mean leaving behind everything that connects you to it.
Sources
- Ministry of Popular Power for Culture of Venezuela. The Arepa and Its Varieties Throughout Venezuela.
- Juana Flour. Venezuelan Arepa Recipe.
- Straight to the Palate. How to Make Arepas and What Are the Best Fillings for Them.
- Curiara. Sending money means saying, “I’m with you, even if I’m far away.”.
