Hello there, food-loving friends! It feels good to be back! This time, we are going to talk about gastronomy, which is one of the best and also one of the most respected in Latin America: Venezuelan food. Venezuelan gastronomy is heavily influenced by Europeans, more precisely, by the Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese. The Venezuelans also took some influences from the West African and, obviously, from the indigenous.
All of this is a direct result of the different waves of immigration that came from those nations and established themselves in Venezuela during the 50s, 60s, and 70s, thus making Venezuelan food very eclectic and varied when it comes to recipes. If you are looking for some of the best dishes from the Venezuelans, this guide will help you a lot. Without further ado, let’s begin!
1. The Venezuelan national dish: Pabellón Criollo
If we are going to talk about Venezuelan food, we must begin with the most famous Venezuelan dish out there. The Pabellón Criollo is considered Venezuela’s national dish and is a meal that perfectly mixes three cultures: the Spanish, the African and the native American. This dish contains shredded beef in stew, stewed black beans and rice, but the most common version of this meal also contains fried plantain slices.
This masterpiece is perfect to try at lunchtime and the best part is that it doesn’t matter where you are in Venezuela, the Pabellón Criollo is prepared wherever you are. It is one of the most iconic dishes in the entirety of Venezuelan culture, with the term “criollo”, often serving as a way to describe that country’s own identity in a lot of things, only adds to the allure and legacy that it has within the nation’s cuisine.
2. Asado negro
This is a dish for meat lovers. The Asado Negro is one of the most famous within the Venezuelan food. This colonial-inspired meal is prepared from a cut from the back of the beef, known as “muchacho redondo” (which directly translates to “round boy”) and is often accompanied by rice, fried plantain slices, but in some cases, many people substitute the rice with mashed potatoes, which gives it a better texture.
The reason why it is called like that is because of the color of the beef, which acquires this color because “papelón” is used, which is a direct product of the molasses of the sugar cane boiled. For those who enjoy meat and want to see how Venezuelans cook it, this choice is the best way to go if they want to get into this cuisine.
3. Huevo Perico
Scrambled eggs are common around the world, but the Huevo Perico is one of the most famous and delicious dishes when it comes to Venezuelan food. The huevo perico, or just perico, is a dish prepared with scrambled eggs, tomatoes, bell pepper, butter, and sautéed diced onions but in some cases, people prefer to substitute the onions with scallions.
This is considered by many as the tropical version of the normal scrambled eggs and one of the best things of this meal, is that it can be eaten alone, with bread or even better, as an arepa filling. Eggs are a strong element in Venezuelan food and can come in a lot of shapes and forms because they are fairly versatile, but this is often the most commonly used in that country.
4. Cachapa
There are so many great places in Venezuela, and one of these places are the long and solitaire plains, and one of the most famous Venezuelan meals comes from there. The Cachapas are a dish made from maize flour and can be made wrapped in dry corn leaves or like pancakes of corn dough.
They are usually eaten with “queso de mano” which is a handmade cheese that looks and feels like mozzarella cheese and with fried pork, or “chicharron”. The cachapas are one of the most common Venezuelan foods, and they are highly popular at roadside stands and street stalls.
It isn’t a reach to say that this is one of the most popular dishes in the entirety of the country, and one of the most emblematic, so people should definitely give it a go.
5. Chivo al Tarkari
The goat is a widely used animal in Venezuelan gastronomy because it is so tasty and wonderful and this next dish is considered a treasure of Venezuelan food. The Chivo al Tarkari is so amazing that even those who doesn’t like eating goat loves this dish.
The main ingredient is, obviously, goat, with chopped tomatoes, diced potatoes, chopped onions, paprika, and curry; which plays an important role in this dish. Preparing this dish will take you a lot of time, two and a half hours, to be exact, between the preparation and the cooking. But the result will amaze everybody in your house.
It is fair to say that eating goat might not be the most appealing prospect to a lot of people from other countries, at least at first, but Venezuelan food knows its way around it.
6. The most acclaimed Zulian food: Patacones
If we talk about this meal, we must mention the Zulia state, because their food is, by far, one of the best in Venezuelan cuisine. The Patacones are a dish made from fried green plantains, which are also known as tostones, by some Venezuelans. The patacones are often accompanied with chicken, meat, fish, sauces, white cheese, and even with grated salad.
This is a type of meal that is often served as a snack and in some places, the patacones can be prepared as the base for sandwiches and even pizza, that sounds a little bit crazy, but believe us, it tastes incredibly well.
The Zulia state, particularly when it comes to its capital, Maracaibo, is fairly known for its outgoing and extroverted people and hot weather, but also because of its cuisine. There is a strong argument to be made that the best Venezuelan food is found in this part of the country.
7. Pan de jamón
Every country has their own typical dish that is usually prepared specially for Christmas. Well, Venezuela has two dishes and this is one. The pan de jamón a long bread filled with ham, green olives and raisins, but there are some instances where it is also filled with cream cheese or turkey.
This dish is believed to be created in December 1905 by Gustavo Ramella as an industrial recipe designed especially for the public, so its origin is a lot different from the rest of the Venezuelan food because most of the other dishes where prepared in a house for family intentions.
The legacy of this type of bread is borderline legendary in Venezuela, and most people are looking forward to Christmas to eat it. So, if you stop by during those dates, you are bound to eat pan de jamón at some point.
8. Hallaca
We mentioned before that there were two Christmas dishes in Venezuela. Well, this is the second one, and by far, the most famous of the two. The hallaca is one of the most worldwide famous dishes from Venezuela, and no, the hallacas are not tamales.
The hallacas are a corn dough stuffed with beef, chicken, or pork, capers, olives, onion rings, raisins, and pepper slices and this dish has its origins since the arrival of Spanish when indigenous people were looking for leftovers to satisfy their hunger; so, it’s safe to say that this dish is one of the oldest ones.
Hallaca is eaten somewhat regularly in some parts of the country, but this is a dish that is mostly associated with Christmas in Venezuela. Preparing and cooking it is perceived as a rite of passage of sorts, setting up the early days of Christmas. The fact it tastes so good is the icing on the cake.
9. The world’s best breakfast: Arepas
We decided to leave the best one for last, and we are pretty sure that everyone knows what we are going to talk about right now. The best breakfast in the world, ladies and gentlemen: the arepa. The arepa is a Venezuelan food made of ground maize dough stuffed with almost everything you can imagine: chicken, cheese, avocado, black beans, beef, ham, etc.
The arepas can be cooked either roasted or fried; it depends on your tastes, but the most common thing is to eat them roasted. The arepas are considered the cornerstone of Venezuelan food and diet, so if you decide to go to that country, you will see arepas everywhere.
Finding Venezuelan Food Near You
Eager to try all these dishes but not sure where to start? Finding Venezuelan food near you might be easier than you think. Check out local Latin American markets and restaurants specializing in Caribbean cuisine, or use food apps to discover hidden gems. And remember, the best way to enjoy Venezuelan cuisine is to dive in with friends, share dishes, and celebrate the rich cultural heritage that each bite offers.
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