Venezuelan Arepas

Mary Lou Janski, office manager at the St. Cloud Mission Office, was a delegate from the Diocese of St. Cloud in Minnesota who visited the Diocese of Maracay, Venezuela, in February. Members of the group for this diocesan partnership mission stayed with host families for part of their 10-day trip. The delegation visited churches, convents, shrines and schools. (Another delegate, Kate Meyer, a student at St. John’s Prep School, Collegeville, Minn., reflected on her visit to Maracay in today’s issue of The Visitor.)

Mary Lou shares an authentic recipe for the Venezuelan staple, arepas. She learned how to make these small corncakes from her host family in Maracay. In some instances this versatile form of quick bread is eaten plain or with butter. On other occasions, it is served sandwich-style with fillings. CJK

Venezuelan Arepas

(Mary Lou Janski)

Mary Lou Janski forms the dough for an arepa. 

3 cups water

1 cup P.A.N. pre-cooked white corn meal**

1 tbsp. oil

Butter, optional

Fillings*

Grated cheese*

Mix the water and P.A.N. together — either with your hands or with a large spoon — until smooth. There should be no lumps in the dough. Let set for 3 to 5 minutes. You may need to add more P.A.N. to achieve a firm (but not hard) consistency. If so, let it sit another 6 minutes.

Heat a griddle and pour the oil into it. Rub the oil in with a paper towel; continue to heat the griddle, and then rub the oil in again.

Wet hands. Divide dough into 4 or 5 balls. Flatten each into a cake (about 5 to 6 inches around and 1/4-inch thick). Place cakes on griddle. Pat them with wet hands to make less sticky. Cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes. Turn as needed — at least a couple times while on the griddle. Watch them carefully, so they do not burn. When the arepas are browned and a little crispy on both sides, remove from heat.

To serve, slice in half (like an English muffin), spread with butter, a filling and/or cheese, if desired. Close (like a sandwich) to eat.

*A note from Mary Lou: Arepas were served for breakfast where I was staying with Rafael Roche and his wife, Eilen. Rafael, a minister with the Diocese of Maracay, prepared them every morning and I helped a couple of times. It’s important to cook them long enough to create a browned and crunchy crust. 

Each day there was a different filling. The first time it was a seasoned beef with cheese. Other mornings we had eggs scrambled with onion, peppers and tomatoes with cheese or black beans with cheese. I heard that barbecued pork is also very good. We used a sharp white grated cheese at Rafael and Eilen’s. The warm fillings melt the cheese. Arepas are both delicious and substantial.

**A note from Carol: P.A.N. pre-cooked white corn meal can be purchased locally at Hispanic markets. An essential ingredient in Venezuelan cooking, this corn meal is ground as fine as flour.

Arepas (pronounced ah-RAY-pahs) have a long history, dating back to the indigenous inhabitants of Venezuela and Columbia. Today they are sold throughout Venezuela in areperias, restaurants that specialize in making arepas stuffed with a variety of fillings.

Mary Lou Janski, left, learns how to make arepas from Rafael Roche, right, and his wife, Eilen, her host family in Maracay, Venezuela. (Photos courtesy of Mary Lou Janski)

After the arepas are placed on the preheated and oiled griddle, Mary Lou pats them down with wet hands to make the dough less sticky.