Venezuelan Arepa

What is it?

Arepas are the most popular kind of bread rolls eaten in Venezuela. They were the heritage of the Indians, who grinded the corn between stones and then cooked them in an “aripo”, a sort of frying pan made of clay. Actually they are cooked in iron frying pans or maybe you can still find in some places the clay ones.
Arepa is the most popular nourishment in Venezuela, and can be found being sold in the streets, cooked in the poorer houses, eaten in the fanciest hotels and in the house of the wealthier people.

Arepas can be eaten just with butter, filling them with cheese, ham, meat, or anything else you prefer. They can be eaten at breakfast, at lunch time, in the afternoon snacks, or at dinner. Arepas can be desserts too, if filled with cream or jams. They can even be eaten with ice cream.

Recipe

Ingredients:

Water
Cooking oil
2 ½ cups of corn flour (pre cooked)
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Put the corn flour in a bowl, mix it with the salt, a little of oil, and slowly add the water, moving it and eventually turn it to knead with your hands. The dough should be strong and not get sticky to your hands and if it does, oil your hands a little. Form small balls and flatten them to the size of a small hamburger. Heat well an iron frying pan and oil it. Put the little breads to cook and let it get in the same side until it can be easily turned over, forming a crust. Then do the same procedure on the other side. Put it in a hot oven for some 15 minutes, until they puff up slightly. Fill it with what you prefer and eat it warm!