Arepas
Arepa is a food made from ground corn (maize). They’re almost like little flatbreads, but made from cornflour, so they have a fluffy texture.
They originated in the north of South America, but the exact whereabouts of the making of the first arepa is unknown. It is suspected that they originated in Venezuela, where they’re eaten at least once daily by most people.
The derivation of the name comes from the word ‘erepa’, which is the word for cornbread in Cumanagoto (Venezuelan language)
How to fill ‘em
Cheese, various meats, chicken, avocado are typical fillings, but you can literally fill them with whatever you want. I’ve also read about simply spreading them with butter and melting cheese over which sounds insane. Victor from mercado deli in didsbury, told us that his favourite is ham and cheese, and he told us that in some regions, they are not cut in half, people just put things on top, so you can really do whatever you want with them. He also told us that after Christmas, his family even fill arepas with their leftovers from Christmas dinner, which made me very happy and I will most definitely be doing this.
Recipe, makes 4;
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup fine corn flour
1/2 cup coarse corn flour
1 tsp maldon salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C
Add the water and salt to a bowl and let the salt dissolve
Add the flour bit by bit until a dough forms
Roll into 4 balls then flatten out
On a slightly greased pan on high heat, toast each arepa on each side for 2-3 mins or until they start to brown
Put in the oven for 10 mins, then flip and cook for another 10 mins
If they need to be browner, toast them again on a dry pan until they’ve got a slight crisp on the surface
Cut open and literally stuff with whatever you want (left is a fried egg, avocado, esquites, feta, lime juice and tajin. Right is tuna, avocado, lime juice, cherry tomato, spring onion and tajin)
Notes + Variations:
INSTRUCTIONS FROM VICTOR AT MERCADO DELI
Don’t eat these with a knife and fork, and don’t dismantle them. They’re made to be enjoyed whole, and are supposed to be messy, so embrace it.
