February 2, 2025

Arepas

Frying a breaded onion ring in hot oil.

Its’ origins can be traced back to the indigenous tribes of what is now Venezuela and Colombia. These tribes used cornmeal to make a flatbread called “cachapa,” similar to the arepa we know today.

A hand sprinkling brown sugar onto mashed potatoes in a black baking dish

An arepa is a South American dish (popular in Colombia and Venezuela) made from cornmeal dough that can either be fried or griddled.

Hand sifting flour into a bowl in a kitchen.
A bowl of white mozzarella balls, a person's hand reaching for cooked chicken on a plate, and various packaged food items on a cluttered table.

Before Spanish colonization, the cornmeal patties were already traditional to the territory that is now Colombia and Venezuela. Maíz grew generously across the land and indigenous tribes learned to cultivate it. This led to what the Cumangoto tribe called erepa.

A hand holding a round dough ball over hot oil in a skillet for frying.
Person frying a donut in a small pot of oil on the stovetop, holding a pair of tongs with the donut.
A person cooking plantain in hot oil on stove, flipping it with a fork, with a white oven mitt in hand.
Close-up of a person using a hand blender in a mixing bowl in a kitchen. Background shows a stove, bottles, and food items.