6 typical Venezuelan dishes that you have to try out
Venezuelan cuisine is a mixture of West African, Native American and European (especially Portuguese, Spanish and French) traditions. Therefore, the cultural diversity and flavorful ingredients make the dishes tasty and distinctive. The cuisine with its tingling spices and exotic flavors has become popular all around the world. Even though the traditional foods differ from one region to another, we have picked the 6 most typical and significant Venezuelan dishes which we are going to share with you. We recommend you to try them out because they are delicious.
Arepa — the all-time favorite Venezuelan dish
Arepa, the cornmeal cake is cooked on grill, cut in half and filled with variety of cheese, meat and vegetables. It is the most popular dish in Venezuela. Venezuelans enjoy eating this specialty for lunch, dinner and also for a quick snack. They simply love to eat it on a daily basis. The most favorite one is made with chicken salad and avocado. Arepa is a street food that you can find on almost every corner in Venezuelan cities and towns.
Hallaca — Christmas must have
Christmas food lovers pay attention! We are bringing you the most typical Christmas treat which you will love to eat — meet Hallaca. This traditional treat consists of a lot of meat — pork and beef, variety of veggies, and cornmeal. It is wrapped up in a banana leaf and cooked. When it is ready you unwrap the Hallaca and just eat it. It is even better than unwrapping presents for sure because it tastes great and will make you eat more and more. It is very hard to quit eating this treat.
Pabellón Criollo — the national dish that everybody loves
Imagine, spicy shredded meat served over hot rice and accompanied by black beans. Sometimes the dish is upgraded with fried eggs and fried banana slices. Sounds delicious, right? That is Pabellon Criollo, the most typical and favorite food in Venezuela. There is no doubt why. The taste of juicy meat balances perfectly with black beans and rice. Furthermore, fried eggs and bananas take the dish to another level. It is just simply not possible to finish this hearty food fast.
Asado Negro — authentic Venezuelan dish
If you love juicy steaks, you have to try out Asado Negro. This meal is simply a tender of roasted beef with sweet glaze. The ingredient that make this food special is the marinade which consists of wine, a bit of sugar, vinegar, pepper and spices. Venezuelan families have their own secret recipes of the marinade, so the taste might differ from family to family a bit. However, we are pretty sure you will love this meal.
Pisca Andina — sumptuous chicken soup
Chicken broth for breakfast? No problem in Venezuela, because you can have Pisca andina. This chicken stew is a mixture of diced potatoes, carrots, eggs and pepper cooked for hours so all the flavors mix together. The soup has a unique bland taste and belongs to the morning kick off meals. Soups in Venezuela are in general thick stews with a lot of vegetables and are cooked for many hours. This makes the stews delicious and flavorful.
Empanadas — fried spicy patties
It is a friend made from corn and looks like a patty, what is it? Empanada! You can find those goodies on every corner of the streets in Venezuela. These little patties are made from corn flour and stuffed with various fillings, depending on the region. Some empanadas can be also spicy. The most common filling is cheese and minced meat.
Have you tasted any of these six Venezuelan specialties? Or is there any Venezuelan dish which you love and we have not mentioned in the article? Write us about the best Venezuelan meals that you ever tasted. Also share with us your thoughts what you like about Venezuelan cuisine the most.
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