Venezuelan Food

8/15/2019 Venezuelan Food

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VENEZUELAN FOOD

The cuisine in Venezuela has a lot of European influences (especially Italian, panish an!

French" an! is #uite fla$ourful% &ut you can also fin! in!i'enous as ell as African influence%

As Venezuela is such a lar'e an! !i$erse country, each re'ion has its on !istincti$e re'ional

coo)in'%

On the coast you ill fin! hi'h #uality fish, shellfish, crayfish, fish soups as ell as fish stes%

Try the pargo (re! snapper" or the !ora!o if you ha$e the chance% *oconut is also part of so+e

!ishes%

In the An!ean re'ion the foo! is #uite !ifferent% E$en the +ost fa+ous !ish the arepa is not

+a!e of corn+eal -ut heat% .ere you can fin! cure! +eats an! sausa'es hich are sol! in

+any rural $illa'es% /ou shoul! not +iss the fa+ous fresh trucha (trout" !ishes hich co+e

fro+ the +any An!ean strea+s an! la)es%

The foo! in the A+azon re'ion $aries a lot fro+ the rest of Venezuela% &esi!es the +ainin're!ients li)e yucca, corn, -eans an! -ananas so+e people e$en eat turtles, tapirs,

+on)eys -ir!s an! !eep frie! ants% &ut you coul! also li$e on Casabe, -rea! +a!e out of

yucca, if you !eci!e you !on0t ant to -e too !arin'%

1eat lo$ers ill en2oy the parillas (+i3e! 'rill" in Venezuela as the #uality of +eat is #uite hi'h

an! the prices are lo% /ou can choose -eteen muchacho (roast -eef", solomo (sirloin"

an! lomito (stea)"%

AREPA: It is the +ost fa+ous !ish fro+ Venezuela, an! is a corn+eal ca)e that can -e 'rille!,-a)e! or frie!% Unli)e in nei'h-ourin' *olo+-ia here it is nor+ally eaten una!orne!, here in

Venezuela it is split open an! fille! ith a $ariety of cheese an! +eats% Arepa is a -asic part of

the Venezuelan !iet an! is eaten in place of -rea! in +ost +eals% 4e reco++en! fillin' it ith

a +i3ture of cheese, e''s an! -acon5 ee our 6ecipe for Arepas%

CACHAPA: i+ilar to the tra!itional A+erican panca)e (+uch thic)er than an En'lish

panca)e", it is +a!e fro+ a puree of corn, su'ar, salt an! oil% It is nor+ally then fol!e! o$er

ith a lar'e piece of a soft hite cheese insi!e% It is so+eti+es ser$e! ith crea+ an! 2a+% It

is tra!itionally ser$e! ith -rea)fast or at once a snac) ith tea% o+eti+es it is

acco+panie! -y a si!e of frie! por)% (4e ha$e yet to +eet a 'rin'o ho truly en2oye! thischun) of por)"

CACHITOS DE JAMÓN: Is a snac) hich is $ery si+ilar to the French croissant fille! ith

choppe! ha+ an! or cheese%

http://www.southamerica.cl/Venezuela/arepas-recipe.htmhttp://www.southamerica.cl/Venezuela/arepas-recipe.htmhttp://www.southamerica.cl/Venezuela/arepas-recipe.htm


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CASABE: This type of -rea!, hich is +a!e out of yucca, is consi!ere! the ol!est -rea! in the

A+ericas% 6ich in fi-re an! +inerals the Venezuelans consu+e +ore than 78,888)' of casa-e

each year%

CHIVO AL COCO: (or *hi$o en coco" is a coastal re'ion specialty an! contains pieces of

shre!!e! 'oat coo)e! in coconut +il)% It ill -e ser$e! ith mofongo hich is frie!, +ashe!'reen -ananas%

EMPANADAS: The e+pana!as in Venezuela are !eep frie!, stuffe! corn flour patties%

Depen!in' on the re'ion you can e$en fin! shar), cla+s or other types of seafoo! fillin's 9

especially in coastal re'ions li)e 1ar'arita Islan!% The +ost typical e+pana!as are those fille!

ith cheese an! +ince! +eat%

ENSALADA CAPRESE: This fa+ous Italian !ish is $ery popular in Venezuela as ell% The

caprese sala! consists of to+ato, +ozzarella cheese an! fresh -asil%

GUASACACA: Is the #ueen of the sauces in Venezuela% It is #uite spicy an! ill nor+ally -eser$e! ith +eat, chic)en, e+pana!as an! arepas% It is +a!e ith a$oca!o, parsley,

corian!er, onions, peppers an! 'arlic%

HALLACA: There is nothin' as i+portant to Venezuelan cuisine as the hallaca% The process is

incre!i-ly la-orious an! in$ol$es the entire fa+ily: it is only !one !urin' the *hrist+as season,

an! 'enerally in one 'o, to last the entire season% It is an incre!i-ly social e$en, in hich

-un!les of foo! are often e3chan'e! -eteen nei'h-ours an! frien!s% (The process is +ore of

a co+petition than a 'ift e3chan'e"% The fa+ily for+s a line startin' ith the fillin' of -eef,

por), capers, raisins an! oli$es that are then rappe! in corn+eal !ou'h (the sa+e !ou'h

use! for arepas" an! then -oun! ith -anana lea$es% 4hile 'enerally +en !o not in$ol$ethe+sel$es in the coo)in' process, a$oi!in' hallaca +a)in' is i+possi-le an! +en are +ost

co++only foun! cleanin' the -anana lea$es an! tyin' the+ to'ether for stea+in'% There is

alays a fa+iliar pri!e hen it co+es to hallaca +a)in', ith e$eryone #uotin' ho their

+other0s hallacas are the -est in the entire country% ;erhaps there is so+e truth to this as no

to fa+ilies use the e3act sa+e recipe, an! the fillin' so+eti+es !iffer throu'hout the re'ions%

If you happen to $isit Venezuela !urin' the +onth of Dece+-er you ill -e surprise! to see

ho +any 'enerous people ill 'la!ly offer you a neatly rappe! pac)a'e fille! ith a perfect

-alance of sa$oury an! seetness%

LENGUA DE RES: *o ton'ue ser$e! in a $inai'rette%

MANDOCA: It is a !onut of !eep frie! corn+eal% It is +a!e ith papel


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PABELLÓN CRIOLLO: It is a si+ple !ish of shre!!e! -eef an! -lac) -eans ser$e! on a -e!

of hite rice% It al+ost alays is acco+panie! -y a frie! e'' (;a-ell


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frie! a'ain until the cheese +elts an! the yo9yo ac#uires a !eep 'ol!en hue% They are ser$e!

as si!es or entrees%

DessertsBESITO DE COCO: Are popular roun! coconut coo)ies

BIEN ME SABE: This !essert hich literally can -e translate! to it tastes 'oo! to +e has

-een ell )non in Venezuela since the colonial ti+es% It is a spon'e ca)e -athe! in li#uor an!

layere! ith coconut crea+ fillin' an! toppe! ith +erin'ue

CANNOLI: *annoli siciliano is a pastry tu-e fille! ith ricotta cheese an! honey or chocolate%

DULCE DE LECHE: Is foun! in all of outh A+erica% The $ersion in Venezuela is also

calle! arequipe an! is +ainly pro!uce! in the northern ton of *oro% /ou can fin! the pure

$ariety of !ulce !e leche or the $ersion ith chocolate% It is -asically seetene! +il) that has

-een carefully coo)e! until you recei$e a -ron 2a+ that tastes a little -it li)e cara+el% An easy

ay of preparin' it is to coo) seetene! con!ense +il) for a couple of hours%

DULCE DE LECHOZA: This is a typical !essert ser$e! on *hrist+as% It is +a!e of 'reen

papaya an! -ron su'ar hich is sloly coo)e! for hours an! is ser$e! col!%

QUESILLO: i+ilar to flan, it is +a!e ith e'' yol)s an! syrup% *ontrary to the na+e, there is

no cheese% &e careful thou'h, outsi!e of Venezuela the sa+e na+e refers to a cheese !ish

rather than a !essert%

Documents

Venezuelan Food