Arepas

The arepa is a pre-Columbian dish from the area that is now Venezuela, Panamá and Colombia. Instruments used to make flour for the arepas, and the clay slabs on which they were cooked, were often found at archaeological sites in the area. Although it has not been specified in which country an arepa was cooked for the first time, it has been possible to define the oldest dates of the presence of maize in Colombia and in Venezuela.

Throughout its history, the arepa has stayed mainly unchanged from the arepas that pre-Columbian native peoples would have consumed, making the arepa one of the few pre-contact traditions that have remained popular in the years since colonization. The name arepa is said to be derived from erepa, the word for cornbread in the Cumanagoto language.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups arepa flour, (pre-cooked cornmeal)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/4 cups warm water

Coconut oil for frying

METHOD

Mix arepa flour and salt. Slowly add warm water and knead to form a dough ball. Rest dough for about 5 minutes.

Divide dough into 6-8 pieces, roll into a ball in the palm of hands. Flatten dough to form a disk about 1/2 inch thick.

Heat Griddle or cast-iron skillet with oil over medium-high heat. Add arepas and cook for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Using a knife cut arepas down the centre but leaving the back ends attached. Stuff with black beans, plantains, guacamole, jackfruit carnitas, scrambled tofu or your favourite stuffing and serve immediately.