Select a type of food below to learn more about it
Hallacas
This is a picture of my grandma making hallacas.
There is nothing as important to Venezuelan cuisine as the hallaca. The
process is incredibly laborious and involves the entire family; it is
only done during the Christmas season, and generally in one go, to last
the entire season. It is an incredibly social event, in which bundles of
food are often exchanged between neighbors and friends. (The process
is more of a competition than a gift exchange).
The family forms a line
starting with the filling of beef, pork, capers, raisins and olives
that are then wrapped in cornmeal dough (the same dough used for
arepas) and then bound with banana leaves.
While generally men do not
involve themselves in the cooking process, avoiding hallaca making is
impossible and men are most commonly found cleaning the banana leaves
and tying them together for steaming. There is always a familiar pride
when it comes to hallaca making, with everyone quoting how their
mother's hallacas are the best in the entire country. Perhaps there is
some truth to this as no two families use the exact same recipe, and
the filling sometimes differ throughout the regions. If you happen to
visit Venezuela during the month of December you will be surprised to
see how many generous people will gladly offer you a neatly wrapped
package filled with a perfect balance of savory sweetness.
Pabellón criollo is a
traditional Venezuelan dish, the local
version of the rice and beans combination found throughout the
Caribbean. It is a plate of rice, shredded
beef and stewed black beans that is
considered by many to be the Venezuelan national dish.
4-6 servings Oil -- 1/4 cup Beef sirloin or flank steak -- 2
pounds Onion, chopped -- 1 Salt -- 2 teaspoons Pepper -- 1 teaspoon Water -- to cover Onion, finely chopped -- 1 Red bell pepper, finely chopped --
1 Garlic, minced -- 3-4 cloves Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and
chopped -- 2-3 cups Salt and pepper -- to taste Cooked black beans -- 1 recipe Cooked white rice -- 4 cups Fried plantains -- 1 recipe
Method
Heat the oil in
in a skillet over
medium-high flame. Sear the meat on both sides to brown well, about 4-5
minutes per side.
Remove from heat and place the meat in a large pot with the chopped
onion, salt, pepper and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then
reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until meat is
very tender.
Remove the meat from the pot and set aside to cool, reserving the
broth. When cool, shred the meat with your fingers or two forks.
Reheat the skillet, adding more oil if necessary. Add the finely
chopped onion, peppers and garlic and sauté until the onions are
translucent.
Stir in the shredded meat, chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper. Add a
little of the reserved broth to moisten and simmer for about 15-20
minutes.
Serve with black beans, white rice a couple of fried plantains.
A tequeño is prepared with
a bread dough with queso blanco
(white cheese) in the middle. It is formed into a breadstick and then
usually fried. It is one of the most popular Venezuelan snack foods in
parties, especially weddings. It is said that a party is not a true
Venezuelan party without tequeños.
The arepa is a corn-based bread from the northern Andes in South
America (from countries like Venezuela and Colombia), now spread to
other areas in modern Latin American countries.
It is similar to the mesoamerican tortilla.
Arepas are most popular in Venezuela and Colombia.
The arepa is a flat cornmeal patty which is grilled, baked, or
fried.
Recipe:
Makes 5-10 arepas
Pre-cooked cornmeal (see notes) -- 2 cups
Salt -- 1/2 teaspoon
Boiling water -- 3 cups
Oil -- 3 tablespoons
Method:
Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large bowl, mix together the
cornmeal and salt. Pour in 2 1/2 cups of the boiling water and mix with
a wooden spoon to form a mass. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and
set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Using wetted hands, form balls of dough out of about 1/4 cup
of dough and press to form a cake about 3 inches wide and 3/4 inch
thick. If the dough cracks at the edges, mix in a little more water and
then form the cakes.
Heat the oil in a sauté pan or skillet over
medium-high heat. Sauté the patties, a few at a time, to form a
light brown crust on one side, 5-6 minutes. Flip and brown on the other
side.
When all the patties have been browned, transfer them to a
baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they
sound lightly hollow when tapped. Serve immediately.
Cachapas are a part of traditional
Venezuelan cuisine. Like arepas it
is a popular "outdoors" food, particularly in roadside stands. They can be pancakes or tamales of
fresh corn dough, the latter
(cachapa de hoja) are wrapped in banana leaves and boiled. The most common ones are made with
fresh corn that is ground and then
mixed into a thick batter and cook on a budare like pancakes; the
cachapa is slightly thicker and lumpier because of the pieces from corn
kernels. It can be served with many
toppings, but traditionally with butter or
margarine and any variety of white cheese (queso blanco) on top. They can be prepared as an
appetizer or a full breakfast, depending on
the size. Cachapas can be very elaborate, some including different
kinds of cheese, milky cream, or jam.
Quesillo In Venezuela, the term quesillo
refers to a type of dessert made with
eggs, condensed milk and caramel, similar to crème caramel.
INGREDIENTS: 6 person’s service
• 1 can condensed milk • 1 can milk (use same can of the
condensed milk) • 4 eggs • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 1 spoon rum (optional)
Caramel Ingredients:
• 1 ½ cup sugar • ½ cup water
PREPARATION:
Prepare the caramel cooking and
mixing the sugar and the water in a
mold. Mix all other ingredients in a mixer. Fill the mold with the
mixture slowly to avoid the caramel mixing with the mixture. Bake the
mixture at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (bigger mixture might take 1 hour
for proper bake). Use a cake tester to check if it is properly baked.
When ready, let it cool down and then turn it over in a serving plate.
If you are not serving it immediately, keep it inside a refrigerator.
But it might not last to long after your first bite…!
Pan De Jamon is translated into
ham bread. It's a delicious bread with
ham, olives, raisins, and bacon. This dish is typically served
during christmas. Here's a video that shows Pan de
Jamon being made.
