Culinary traditions of Venezuela
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Venezuelan cuisine is influenced by its European[1] (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and French), West African, and indigenous traditions. Venezuelan cuisine varies greatly from one region to another. Food staples include corn, rice, plantains, yams, beans and several meats.[1][2] Potatoes, tomatoes, onions, eggplants, squashes, spinach and zucchini are also common side dishes in the Venezuelan diet. Ají dulce and papelón are found in most recipes. Worcestershire sauce is also used frequently in stews. Venezuela is also known for having a large variety of white cheese (queso blanco), usually named by geographical region.
Main dishes
| Arepa | Ground maize dough cooked, typically grilled on a budare (which is similar to a comal) or deep-fried in a regular pan. The arepa is served filled, similar to a sandwich. There are many fillings including shredded beef, black beans, Venezuelan cheese, ham, fish. Some fillings have proper names. Reina Pepiada (old Venezuelan Spanish for "curvy queen") is a filling for arepa composed of avocado, chicken, and mayonnaise. This particular filling is named after the Venezuelan beauty queen Susana Duijm.[3] | |
| Arepa andina | Same as arepas but made with wheat. Popular in the Venezuelan Andes region. | |
| Cachapa | A maize pancake, usually filled with fresh cheese and/or fried pork | |
| Cachitos (de jamón) | Similar to French croissant filled with ham | |
| Caraotas negras | Black beans, usually eaten at lunch time, with rice, plantains and shredded meat, or pabellón | |
| Casabe | A flat bread made of bitter cassava | |
| Chicharrón | Typically fried pork rinds and eaten as a snack, or as a side dish | |
| Chupe Andino | A soup traditionally made with cheese, shredded chicken or hen, vegetables and cream. | |
| Ensalada de pollo | Chicken salad, usually made with mayo, green cabbage and carrots | |
| Hallaca | Typical Christmas dish, hallacas typically have a mixture of beef, pork, chicken, capers, raisins, and olives wrapped in maize (cornmeal dough), bound with string within plantain leaves, and boiled or steamed afterwards | |
| Huevos pericos | Scrambled eggs, butter, sautéed diced onions, and tomatoes; used often to fill an arepa | |
| Hervido de gallina | Hen soup, usually with chunks of corn, potatoes, carrots and local root vegetables such as cassava, ñam, auyama (name for local variety of pumpkin), ocumo (cocoyam), and seasoned with onions, garlic, and cilantro[4] | |
| Mandoca | Deep fried cornmeal ring | |
| Mondongo | Soup made from diced tripe and slow cooked vegetables | |
| Pabellón criollo | Creole pavilion, the national dish: white rice, shredded beef in stew, tajadas (fried ripe plantains) and stewed black beans | |
| Pastel de pollo | Chicken pot pie | |
| Polvorosa de pollo | Caracas version of chicken pot pie made with pâte sablée | |
| Pastelitos | Fried puff pastries, it's one of the most famous Venezuelan foods from the Venezuelan Andes. These are made with wheat flour for the dough, and filled with cheese, and chicken for example. Usually pastelitos are eaten at breakfast[5] | |
| Pasticho | It is the same Italian lasagne[6] | |
| Polenta | Also known as "funche" in some areas of the country |
Typical snacks
| Tajadas | Fried ripe plantain slices | |
| Tequeños | Deep-fried breaded cheese sticks | |
| Tostones and patacones | Tostones are a common side dish for fried fish, typically eaten at the beach.[7] They are also used to make the "Zulian patacón", which is a kind of sandwich made using tostones instead of bread[8] | |
| Empanadas | Served as snacks by street vendors; can also be eaten as a full meal. The dough is made with corn flour, similar to arepas, and the fillings are typically cheese, stewed black beans, shredded beefs, among others | |
| Pastelitos | Same as empanada but made from wheat. Common in the Venezuelan Andes region. |
Beverages
- Beer[1]
- Chicha [1]
- Cocada – Coconut milkshake, found mostly in coastal areas.
- Mango juice
- Passion fruit juice
- Malta – Non-alcoholic carbonated malt.
- Papelón con limón [1]
- Ponche crema – Served especially during Christmas season.
- Rum[1]
- Frescolita (strawberry-flavored soda)
- Tequila[1] – Served at celebrations.
Breads
- Casabe – cassava flatbread
- Pan dulce – Spanish for "sweet bread"
- Pan de jamón – usually filled with ham, olives, and raisins and usually eaten during the Christmas season
Desserts
- Alfajor – maize cookie with arequipe and grated coconut
- Bienmesabe
- Brazo gitano (the Spanish Swiss roll)
- Cannoli – often called "cannoli siciliano"
- Conserva de guayaba - Guava confection
- Pudín de chocolate – chocolate pudding
- Dulce de Lechosa Green papaya slowed cooked in a syrup flavored with cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla
- Mousse de chocolate
- Quesillo – local–style caramel flan
- Polvorosas – butter cookies with cinnamon
Cheese
Queso blanco is very popular in Venezuela. It is produced all over Venezuela with different flavors and textures. The name of each variety of cheese is usually related to the geographical region.
- Cuajada andina
- Llanero cheese
- Queso blanco duro
- Queso de año
- Queso de mano
- Queso de Trenza
- Guayanés cheese
- Paisa cheese
- Palmita cheese
- Palmizulia cheese
- Telita cheese
Other foods
- Salpicón
See also
- Venezuela portal
- Food portal
- Latin American cuisine
- South American cuisine
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Kohnstamm, Thomas; Kohn, Beth. "Venezuela." Lonely Planet. Accessed October 2011.
- ^ Brittin, Helen (2011). The Food and Culture Around the World Handbook. Boston: Prentice Hall. pp. 20–21. ISBN 9780135074817.
- ^ //venehub.com/venezuela-food-guide/arepa-reina-pepiada/ “Arepa Reina Pepiada - the Arepa Inspired by a Beauty Pageant Queen.” VeneHUB, 7 Feb. 2021, venehub.com/venezuela-food-guide/arepa-reina-pepiada/.
- ^ "VenezuelaTuya". Venezuela Tuya. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
- ^ "VenezuelaTuya". Venezuela Tuya. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ Romero, Aldemaro (21 June 1998). "Pasticho". notitarde.com (Spanish). Archived from the original on 23 March 2002. Retrieved 2006-04-28.
- ^ "12 comidas playeras típicas de Venezuela". La Tienda Venezolana (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-01-14.
- ^ Alvarez, Alex (2016-07-07). "An Ode To Plantains, Banana's Much Cuter Cousin". we are mitú. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
External links
Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on
- Cuisine of Venezuela
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