Arepas

Arepas are wonderful cornmeal cakes from heaven!

The Taíno people called corn maíz, from which the word maize was derived. A seafaring race of Arawak speaking, handsome folks, the Taíno's chiefdoms extended from the northern to southern Caribbean.

Corn in itself has been a staple crop of the Americas since pre-Colombian times. Herewith ends the history lesson.

An arepa is a simple flatbread made with water, salt and flour – but in the case of the arepa, what is used instead of flour is either cornmeal or masa harina. This is the bare minimal arepa.

Masa harina is white and finely ground to a consistency similar to flour (and is more commonly used to make tortillas). Cornmeal is yellow and mealy, golden granules (and is used for arepas and something Puerto Ricans call surullitos de maiz, corn fritters).

To make arepas, you'd use a pre-cooked corn flour which Colombias refer to as areparina and Venezuelans call masarepa. 

The traditional way to make arepas was to soak the corn, then pound it in a mortar to remove the seed germ and the lining. What was left, the masa, was then cooked and ground and used to make arepas.

The arepa is shaped as a flat disk, though sizes and shapes vary. It is a staple in both Colombian and Venezuelan fare, but it is also very popular and found in other Latin American cuisines throughout the Caribbeans and Central Americans.

Arepa preparation also varies from sweet to savory. Some are used simple to sop up soup and stews, meat juices or gravy. Arepas are also used as sandwich “bread.” The Venezuelans in particular love to stuff theirs with all sorts of goodies: from cheese to meats to fruits and legumes.

Generally spherical, crunchy on the outside. Some are more pancake-like. Arepas are versatile and easy to make. You should consider making it a staple in your diet!

Preparation depends on the type of arepa you want to make, but you can mix and refrigerate until ready to go. Cooking times, because you are working with precooked masa, generally doesn't take longer than it does to brown the masa – usually less than 10 minutes.

I love an arepa filled with mozzarella, but there are a couple of arepas with pork (meat and rind) that intrigue me and I will like to try soon. The beauty of the arepa is that it is very versatile and allows you to experiment in the kitchen.

Epicurious has eight great recipes to get you started!