Arepa
A pre-Columbian maize flatbread, iconic in Colombia and Venezuela.
An arepa is a type of flatbread made from ground maize dough, a staple in northern South America since pre-Columbian times. It is most prominent in Colombian and Venezuelan cuisine, though it also appears in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Central America. The dish is a pre-Columbian creation from the region now encompassing Colombia, Panama, and Venezuela. Archaeological evidence, including tools for grinding maize and clay cooking slabs, has been found in the area. The oldest known presence of maize cultivation in Colombia dates from about 6,000 years ago, while the earliest arepa remains in Colombia are roughly 3,000 years old, specifically from the Altiplano Cundiboyacense region associated with the Muisca people. In Venezuela, the estimate is about 2,800 years old. The arepa has remained largely unchanged since pre-Columbian times, making it one of the few pre-contact traditions that persisted after colonization. Its name derives from the Cumanagoto word for cornbread.
The arepa is a flat, round, unleavened patty made from soaked, ground maize kernels or, more commonly today, maize meal or flour. It can be grilled, baked, fried, boiled, or steamed. Characteristics vary by region, including color, flavor, size, and fillings. Simple versions are filled with butter or cheese and baked; more elaborate fillings include beans, meat, avocado, eggs, tomatoes, salad, shrimp, or fish. Fried arepas are often topped with white cheese and served with fried eggs, while sweet fried varieties use sugarloaf and anise. Initially, arepa flour was ground at home. In the 1950s, precooked arepa flour was invented by a Venezuelan engineer, becoming an instant success. This flour is mixed with water and salt, and occasionally oil, butter, eggs, or milk, forming patties easily. Some varieties use nixtamalized corn, known as arepa pelada. Popular flour brands include Harina PAN and Harina Juana in Venezuela, Doñarepa in Colombia, and Goya elsewhere. In Colombia, pre-roasted arepas are common in stores, supporting a significant industry.
Quick Facts
- Place of origin
- Colombia and Venezuela
- Region
- Northern South America
- Associated cuisine
- Colombian cuisine, Venezuelan cuisine
- Course
- Any course
- Main ingredients
- Corn flour (maize meal or flour)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The arepa is a pre-Columbian dish from the area that is now Colombia, Panama and Venezuela. Instruments used to make flour for the arepa, and the clay slabs on which they were cooked, were often found at archaeological sites in the area. Although it has not been specified in which country an arepa was cooked for the first time, it has been possible to define the oldest dates of the presence of maize in Colombia and Venezuela. For example, in Colombia, the first record of the presence of corn cultivation dates from about 6,000 years ago. However, the presence of arepas dates from 3,000 years ago (specifically in the Altiplano Cundiboyacense by the Muisca), while in Venezuela, the estimate is about 2,800 years ago. Throughout its history, the arepa has stayed mainly unchanged from the arepa that pre-Columbian native peoples would have consumed, making the arepa one of the few pre-contact traditions that have remained popular in the years since colonization. The name arepa is related to erepa, the word for 'cornbread' in the Cumanagoto language.
Reader's Guide
The arepa is a flat, round, unleavened patty of soaked, ground kernels of maize, or—more frequently nowadays—maize meal or maize flour. The characteristics vary by color, flavor, size, and the food with which it may be stuffed, depending on the region. Simple arepas are filled with butter or cheese and baked. Depending on the meal, more filling varieties can be added with combinations of ingredients like beans, meat, avocados, eggs, tomatoes, salad, shrimp, or fish. Fried arepas are often consumed in northern South America, filled with white cheese on top and served with fried eggs. Sweet fried arepas are another variety often prepared with sugarloaf and anise. Venezuelan white cheese is another topping for fried arepas that can be combined with feta cheese. Initially, arepa flour was made by grinding maize at home. In the 1950s, precooked arepa flour was invented by Dr. , a Venezuelan engineer, and became an instant success. The flour is mixed with water and salt, and occasionally oil, butter, eggs or milk. Because the flour is already cooked, the blend forms into patties easily. After being kneaded and formed, the patties are fried, grilled, or baked. Some varieties of arepas are made with 'peeled' corn using the nixtamalization process; they are known as arepa pelada. Arepa flour is specially prepared (cooked in water, then dried) for making arepas and other maize dough-based dishes, such as hallacas, bollos, tamales, empanadas, atole and chicha. The flour may be called , , , or . It is not nixtamalized. The most popular brand names of maize flour are Harina PAN and Harina Juana in Venezuela produced by the companies Alimentos Polar and Monaca; Doñarepa in Colombia produced by the company Harinera del Valle; and Goya elsewhere. However, in countries such as Colombia, it is not common to reconstitute corn flour as it is in Venezuela. Thus, in Colombia, it is more common to see pre-roasted arepas ready for consumption in stores and supermarkets, giving rise to an industry that in 2019 alone had sales of US$124 million with companies such as Arepas Sary and Alpina Productos Alimenticios.
Did You Know?
- The arepa is similar to the Mexican gordita, the Salvadoran pupusa, the Ecuadorian , and the Panamanian or .
- In Colombia, the arepa is an iconic food with some 75 distinct preparation forms.
- The Colombian Arepa Festival is celebrated in Barranquilla, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Cali and Medellín.
- In Venezuela, according to a 2015 survey, nearly 70 percent of the nation ate arepas regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Arepa?
The Arepa is a flatbread made from ground maize dough that has anchored northern South American food traditions for millennia. It is most strongly identified with Colombian and Venezuelan cuisine, though it also shows up in the culinary landscapes of Bolivia, Ecuador, and parts of Central America.
What role does the Arepa play in a meal?
It functions as a versatile carrier that is often split open and stuffed with cheese, meat, avocado, or deviled ham spread. In that sandwich configuration it takes on a role similar to a bread roll or a taco shell in other food traditions.
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