Food Time! Recipe: "Arepa de Maíz" a traditional Venezuelan dish.

Something that define a Venezuelan person is eating "arepas", some kind of corn pancake.It is usually eaten for dinner and breakfast.

It is filled or accompanied with various ingredients according to the regions, the size depends on the region as well, they go to the smaller ones (Like zulian arepas), to the biggest (Like "Gochas" arepas.)

How to prepare a delicious Arepa (Natural way)

First off, I'd like to tell you that this is the way like we make arepas at home, It could be different in another regions or even houses, but anyways, they are all delicious.

I also know it seems to be so difficult to prepare, but It is not like that, it's just a long process, but worth it.

Ingredients:

• 550g. Dry Corn
• 1 tablespoon. Cal (CaO)
• Salt
• Cheese
• Butter

Steps

1.- Select and wash the corn

2.- Pour the corn in a pot and cover it with water (Look at the picture)

3.- Add the Cal and heat the mix, it needs to be cooked for 30 minutes after boiling. Cal is used to peel the corn, don't worry about it.

4.-Strain the corn and wash it, after doing it, you need to use your hands and mash it a little bit in order to remove the shell. (This is a dirty process but don't worry, It doesn't smell, you are just going to feel it a little bit slimy)

5.- Wash the corn and the pot (you can use another pot), put the corn in the pot again, cover it with water and heat it. Cook for 45 minutes after boiling.

6.- Strain the corn, wash it again, put it in a bowl and cover it with water. Let it repose around 20 minutes. (Reposing is optional, if you want you can omit it and just go to the next step)

7.- Crush the corn (You could use a shredder or grinder)

8.- Pour some water in a bowl and add some salt (As much as you want, it depends on you)

9.- Pre-heat the oven. Around 180 degrees are enough.

10.-Knead the mashed corn with the salty water.(You need to knead, add water and repeat until it gets the perfect point, you are going to feel it in your hands, the mixture shouln't stick to your hands)

11.- Form a kind of mound with the mixture and divide it.

12.- Make your arepas, getting the perfect shape is the difficult step, but if you practice you could get it :) (It's almost like playing with clay)

13.- Cook the arepas. Spread a little bit of butter or olive oil in a pan and heat it, then put the arepas until they get a kind of shell. Put them into the oven and cook 12 minutes, then turn them around and cook for 13 minutes more.

14.- Get the arepas out of the oven, open them with a knife, spread some butter, add some cheese and they are ready to eat.

15.- Serve and Enjoy! (In this case I used something different to fill them)

Some tips

• You could fry them insted of baking in order to get a crusty flavor (Use vegetal oil or butter)
• You could add some beef, chicken or even fish and they will get really tasty.
• (Just for baked arepas) If you don't eat them all, you can save them in the fridge, they will keep tasty around 3 days.

There is a faster way to make arepas using corn flour (you can find it in grocery stores), I could share it later!

Thanks

Thank u for reading my post, I hope you've cooked some arepas and you've liked them :) See u soon!