World arepa day: pre-Columbian cuisine that has crossed all borders

The fame of this Pre-Columbian cuisine, simple to prepare and with a recipe that has hardly changed over time, crossed borders and it is already usual to find it on the table of many countries thanks to the continuity of tradition by those around the world.

Maize was a staple of the native American diet long before the arrival of the Spaniards. In fact, according to records, in Colombia and Venezuela it began to be used almost at the same time, around 3,000 years ago. Due to the lack of clear and demarcated borders at the time, it is difficult to determine in which of the two countries it was actually prepared for the first time.

However, with regard to the feast of this day, a large number of Venezuelans have started a crusade that already includes a request to UNESCO.

“Arepa brings me memories, cravings, nostalgia, as well as rich smells and flavors,” he said. Rafael Mourad a Infobae from Spain. The director of the organization Venezuelans in the world He explained that for those who are outside Venezuela “talking about our dishes, our gastronomy, is in part a duel, because while it is true that many Venezuelan products are obtained in other countries, it is not is no less true than It is not your daily diet, either because of the cost of the products or because you have not finished refueling”.

For its part, Tania Rimer, director of the organization and coordinator of the Social program Give an Arepa, also from Spain, pointed out that “the World Arepa Day was created to connect all Venezuelans who were outside the country. And it all started on Facebook, since in all the Venezuelan groups in this network they realized that there was something they wanted, everyone asked where to get pre-cooked corn flour to make arepas because at that time there was not such a variety of product in the different countries ”.

“Another point that has drawn attention,” he continued, “is that many of those who emigrated carried a packet or two of precooked cornmeal in their suitcases and even carried the budare (iron plate to cook the arepas). They also asked a lot on the connector to be able to use the tostiarepa and it got a lot of attention, and We realized that the way to connect Venezuelans to the world could be through our beloved arepa ”.

Easy to prepare and with just a few ingredients, it has been declared as “the best breakfast in the world”Through the gastronomy and tourism portal Thrillist, for which the food critic Adam lapetina he explained that “it revolves around salt, starch, fruit and cheese. And that’s what makes it the best breakfast in the world. Filled with salty cheese, chicken, avocado and eggs, arepas are guaranteed to keep you full until dinner. and it helps you grow big and strong like Paul Bunyan, ”alluding to the legendary American lumberjack who appears in various historical accounts, and even today.

With regard to choice of the day in which this noble product would be commemorated, as with other feast days, it was determined that it would be a Saturday, in this case the second of each September, because “For all Venezuelans, Saturday is a day of family reunion, parties and walks», Explained Rimer, who remembers that first year that “It was held in more than 50 cities around the world simultaneously and every year more and more people celebrate it, and today, ten years after this first event, there are more than 250 cities”.

It is that this day, as it has been specified before, has become much more than the celebration of a dish, it has become a reason for meeting and meeting those who are as far from their land, as it was. detailed Mourad, who about these 10 years of experiences and experiences confirmed that “Comments are varied, ranging from the opportunity to reconnect with their people, their origins, as well as receiving messages from people who were in a city without knowing that there was another group of Venezuelans there. Also people who are associated to undertake a project ”.

However, for this celebration to be complete, on behalf of the Venezuelans of the World, the organization which also includes Luisana La Cruz and Tony de Viveiros, “there is a campaign to collect signatures for the day to be recognized by UNESCO, it would be important for Colombians and Venezuelans. We would like the counterpart to take an interest in this World Day as well. We also have a problem with the company, and that is that after setting it up on Change, org, we later realized that the government of Venezuela has blocked this platform, so it becomes more difficult for them. people to access it. Although we have been celebrating it for 10 years, it would be good if it had its place in the Unesco calendar ”.

Besides the arepa “widow”, the one that does not include any filling, the so-called Queen pepiada (with chicken or hen, avocado and mayonnaise), also Domino (with black beans and grated cheese) and Perico (scrambled eggs, onion, tomato and salt).

Exclusively for Infobae, two of the most prominent Venezuelan chefs present their take on this classic, so you can do it at home and play with the infinite number of possible toppings.

AREPA CON PULLED PORK

(By Víctor García, @elgordococina)

Ingredients

For the arepas

1 cup of lukewarm water

½ teaspoon of salt

1 dash of oil

1/2 cup precooked cornmeal for arepas

For the pig

1 kg of pork bondiola

1 large onion

1 bell pepper

3 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons of sweet paprika

2 tablespoons of cumin

Must

Garlic powder

English sauce

Soya sauce

barbecue salsa

1/2 cup of aceto

1/2 cup of sugar

Procedure

For arepas, mix lukewarm water with salt, oil and precooked corn flour (unfortunately no other flour works, there are several brands on the market but this must be special for arepas). Make balls, mash and cook on the grill.

For the pork, cut the vegetables, put them in a saucepan with a little olive oil and cook a little. Add the bondiola, brown it and cover it with water (wine, broth or 50/50 can be used here) then add seasonings, soy sauce, English and stir. Cook for 1h30 or 2h over medium heat, then let cool in its own broth and remove. Using 2 forks, shred the bondiola, add a few tablespoons of its cooking broth and the bbq sauce (with 2 or 3 tablespoons is good, but you can add it to taste). In a saucepan, mix the aceto with the sugar and cook over medium heat until a thick caramel is obtained, add to the previous pork mixture and distribute well.

AREPA PAVILION

(By Cermary Toro, @cocinandodetorito)

The arepa de pabellón contains three of the typical ingredients of Pabellón criollo, Venezuela’s national dish (fried ripe plantain slices, grated beef and fried black beans), while rice, the fourth ingredient of the original dish, is substituted in this arepa. for the grated cheese. A challenge that conquers foreign palaces.

Ingredients

For arepa

1 cup precooked cornmeal

1 and ½ cups of natural water

Salt to taste

For the black beans

250 grams black beans (beans)

Amount of water required

Pieces or bones of smoked pork (optional)

Salt, black pepper and cumin

Oil

Onion

this

Pepper

Shallot

Peppers

Coriander

Bay leaves

For the minced meat

250 grams of meat

½ cup. beef broth.

Salt and black pepper to taste

Oil

Onion

this

Peppers

Pepper

Coriander

Shallot

Tomato

A ripe banana

Procedure

For the arepa: in a bowl add the water, salt and flour while it begins to knead (if necessary let stand and knead a little more). Form a ball with the palms of your hands and flatten it into a disc. Cook over medium heat in a hotplate or skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side. To book.

For the beans: soak the beans in water and a teaspoon of baking soda the day before, so that they soften. After at least 12 hours later, discard this water, wash well and select the grains.

Make a stew, sauté all the finely chopped dressings in a pan with oil and set aside. In a saucepan with medium-high temperature water, add the beans and pieces of pork. Cover and cook until softened (about 1 hour, this will depend on the type or quality of the grain), constantly checking that they do not lack water (if necessary, add the considered quantity) . Once tender, add the stew and season to taste. If you want them thicker, liquefy a portion of the grains forming a sort of paste and add them again to the preparation. Once done, turn off the heat.

For the minced meat: boil the meat until tender. Once the meat is cooked, shred it. In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the finely chopped vinaigrettes. Later add the meat and fry it too. Add the beef broth and season to taste.

For the banana: remove the skin, cut and fry the slices on both sides.

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