Information AboutArepas |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT AREPA | |
| colombian cuisine | |
| latin american cuisine | |
| venezuelan cuisine | |
| sandwiches | |
| breads | |
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The arepa is a Colombian and Venezuelan Foodstuff , popular in many other Latin American countries, and increasingly available worldwide. It is composed of a flat (the flatness varies) meal cake of Maize flour, split in half and filled with Cheese , Deli meats, and a great variety of fillings. It may be eaten closed like a Sandwich , or dressed with toppings and eaten open-faced. Although similar to a sandwich in its presentation, it can also be eaten as a side dish, in lieu of bread. There are two ways to make the dough: the original, highly laborious method requires the maize grains to be soaked, peeled and ground (this is done by pounding the grains in a larger mortar) to make the flour; the second, easier, and most popular method today is to buy pre-cooked corn Flour , specially prepared for making arepa. The most popular brand name of corn flour in Venezuela is Harina P.A.N. , produced by Empresas Polar in Venezuela since 1960 ; made from white corn, it was the first precooked maize flour on the market. The flour is mixed with Water and Salt (some people add eggs and/or milk). After being molded by hand, or in a special template, into a patty, the dough is fried, grilled or baked. This production of maize is unusual for not using the Nixtamalization or alkali cooking process to remove the pericarp. Arep flour is lower in nutritive value than Nixtamal with protein value reduced by 50% though protein digestion maybe higher. Their preparation depends on two main factors: one is the personal taste or preference of each individual; the second is the region in which they are made. The result is a wide variety of arepa types:
Other fillings are '' Guacuco '' (a shellfish), '' Cazón '' (a kind of small shark), '' Pernil '' (pork), ''Huevos de codorniz'' ( Quail eggs), and Octopus . Historical note: the arepa comes originally from a tribe located in northern Venezuela , named the Cumanagotos . COLOMBIAN AREPAS Colombian arepas are made like Venezuelan ones, but they are not filled by splitting. Instead, the filling (an egg in the Cartagena variation, called ''arepa 'e huevo'' ( Egg ), grated cheese in another regions) is placed inside the cake before it is grilled or fried. Alternative, the extra ingredients can be placed on top of the arepa. REFERENCE |
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