Venezuelan Cuisine
Pabellon Crillo - one of Venezuela's most traditional dishes
Venezuela Cuisine at the moment is a concoction of African, native Indian and European cuisines that has developed over the centuries. It is composed of ingredients like sweet peppers, garlic, onions and coriander as flavor stimulants. The cuisine has an amount of Caribbean influence in its essence. The cooking techniques are typical, which include fruits like the plantain that are served in most of the meals of Venezuela.
Arepas, Mandoca, Tostones, Chicken and Cheese Soup, and Black Bean Soup are the major dishes that are likely to be served at breakfast in Venezuela. Arepa is a traditional Venezuela food item, which is also the national bread of Venezuela. Stuffed with all kinds of ingredients, these small corn cakes are the hot favourites both among the Venezuelans and the tourists as well. The corn that is used to make Arepas is called masarepa. These corns are pre-cooked and then made into the required recipe
Mandoca is a cornmeal that is deep fried and is best enjoyed hot. The flavour and the colour of the dish is enhanced by butter and cheese. Mandoca is usually prepared with corn meal, sugar or Papelon, and stripped cheese. Papelon is a different kind of sugar, which is made up of sugar cane.
As a main course, The “Pabellón Criollo”, it the most traditional Venezuelan dish. This traditional dish is made up of shredded (or pulled) beef, black beans, rice and fried plantains, as the most basic version of it. Some people, depending on the part of the country, also add a plain arepa on the side, some avocadoes, some delicious grated white cheese and even a fried egg. We can find Pabellón Criollo in any part of the country, and we even use it to fill our empanadas and arepas. But we only use the black beans, beef, and plantains to fill those.
As a dessert, we have this delicious dish, named Quesillo. It’s made with eggs, condensed milk and caramel. Many people eat flans and think that flan and quesillo are the same. It is difficult to explain the differences until you try a true Venezuelan quesillo, which tastes like milk and is not as watery as the flan is.
As traditional drink in Venezuela, we have Chicha. This delicious drink, made with rice, milk and sugar, served with crushed ice and topped with ground cinnamon and condensed milk, is very refreshing. You can easily find it in the streets and it is common to drink it in a hot day after school or at university.
By Andrea Gonzalez
Arepas, Mandoca, Tostones, Chicken and Cheese Soup, and Black Bean Soup are the major dishes that are likely to be served at breakfast in Venezuela. Arepa is a traditional Venezuela food item, which is also the national bread of Venezuela. Stuffed with all kinds of ingredients, these small corn cakes are the hot favourites both among the Venezuelans and the tourists as well. The corn that is used to make Arepas is called masarepa. These corns are pre-cooked and then made into the required recipe
Mandoca is a cornmeal that is deep fried and is best enjoyed hot. The flavour and the colour of the dish is enhanced by butter and cheese. Mandoca is usually prepared with corn meal, sugar or Papelon, and stripped cheese. Papelon is a different kind of sugar, which is made up of sugar cane.
As a main course, The “Pabellón Criollo”, it the most traditional Venezuelan dish. This traditional dish is made up of shredded (or pulled) beef, black beans, rice and fried plantains, as the most basic version of it. Some people, depending on the part of the country, also add a plain arepa on the side, some avocadoes, some delicious grated white cheese and even a fried egg. We can find Pabellón Criollo in any part of the country, and we even use it to fill our empanadas and arepas. But we only use the black beans, beef, and plantains to fill those.
As a dessert, we have this delicious dish, named Quesillo. It’s made with eggs, condensed milk and caramel. Many people eat flans and think that flan and quesillo are the same. It is difficult to explain the differences until you try a true Venezuelan quesillo, which tastes like milk and is not as watery as the flan is.
As traditional drink in Venezuela, we have Chicha. This delicious drink, made with rice, milk and sugar, served with crushed ice and topped with ground cinnamon and condensed milk, is very refreshing. You can easily find it in the streets and it is common to drink it in a hot day after school or at university.
By Andrea Gonzalez