Where is the arepa from: Venezuelan or Colombian? These are their differences

The origin of the arepa is one of the biggest gastronomic questions and has been a source of contention for years between the inhabitants of Colombia and Venezuela.

The delicious corn dish, despite its controversial search for nationality, has its own day of celebration: Arepa lovers have celebrated it every September 10 since 2012.

Although the festivity is recent, the arepa is not. According to historical records, the arepa has existed for thousands of years in indigenous communities that lived in the Americas, before Colombia and Venezuela existed as countries.

What dishes do Latin Americans eat at Christmas and New Year?

The arepa “is a food that existed before the arrival of the Spanish conquerors in America,” Ocarina Castillo, an anthropologist at the Central University of Venezuela, told BBC World.

The reason it is so popular in both countries is that corn was a key ingredient in the meals of indigenous communities across the continent. Miguel Felipe Dorta, in his book Long live the arepa!explains that the cumanagotos (Venezuelan ethnic group) gave it the name erepa to the round cornbread they ate.

According to Castillo, when the Spanish heard the cumanagotos refer to cornbread by that name, they adopted it too. For this reason, most experts agree that the arepa comes from the indigenous people and not specifically from Colombia or Venezuela.

Five easy recipes to make in AirFryer

However, this dish is currently distinguished by the way it is prepared in both countries.

Characteristics of the Venezuelan arepa:

• It has filling: meat, beans, plantain, chicken, egg, cheese, avocado, etc.
• It can be a main dish.
• The flour can be baked, roasted or fried.

Characteristics of the Colombian arepa:

• It is made from wheat flour and yellow corn.
• Its filling is just butter or a little cheese.
• It is a side dish for the main course.

(AND)