The Colombian Arepas

We have fond memories of the Colombian arepas, especially Bogota arepas, cheese whose mass is enhanced by the addition of milk, butter and sugar well kneaded with warm water. Hope D 'Antonio native Colombia and good friend, on the occasion of the visit of his mother, invited us to eat this cheese arepas prepared by his mother, Mrs. Maria Teresa de Almonacid of 79. Well we feasted eating arepas. The arepa corn flour is the quintessential bread of Venezuela, Colombia, Panama - call tortilla as in El Salvador - Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and even in the Canary Islands. It is a disk-shaped preparation, which began as a way to worship the sun and moon. So is the tool round in which they cook: the griddle, also called aripo or in Mexico, comal. The origin or etymology of the word, some agree that the term comes from the indigenous "eRep?, A term used to define the maize within the tribe of the Cumanagotos. There is also the belief that its name should be the name of the vessel where performed "aripo?, - Mud plate curve where the Indians grind corn -.

In Colombia, the arepa tradition of eating is very serious. So much so that every year there are festivals of the Colombian Arepa in the top 5 cities: Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Cali, Medellin and Bogota. Apart from Bogota cheese arepa already described, at the regional level are primarily coastal fried arepas, which are made of corn pounded and / or pre-cooked corn flour yellow or white, which you can add grated cheese and salt coast. Also prepared the sweet arepa, which is added anise charcoal-grilled arepas or grilled, sometimes on banana leaves that give a distinctive odor, which is stuffed with ground beef, try strained, chicken, pork, coastal cheese, sausage, chorizo, sausage, vegetables and sauces. The most famous are the arepa e 'egg Luruaco, Barranquilla Atlantic prepared with corn, which is a bit fried, filled with an egg, and finally cooked. There are a variety of arepa 'e egg also carries ground beef. Prepared gourmet replace hen egg quail egg.

Antioquia arepas or countries favored the famous "crumbs", which are arepas surplus water passed again, split into pieces and roasted with olive oil and butter white arepa paisa is prepared without salt and is served without filler for any meal, the chocolate and corn arepa, arepa is a kind of made from corn cob. It is usually eaten hot, buttered and pieces of Antioquia triangles above, the muleteer arepa, prepared with corn soaked in water-worn long, usually 5 days, during which the water is changed daily. It is eaten with pork rinds, arepa mote whose main characteristic is that this is made without corn bran withdraw. The arepa is clearly seen mote bran, which give a distinctive flavor and [], the stack corn arepa made with whole corn, arepa paisa different from the traditional, which is made with cooked corn; try strained arepa, arepa paisa variety of traditional, made only with the grain of corn cooked with no seasoning. In Santander become "chicharron arepas." This is significant because the grind corn, mixed with pork, and then pressed dumplings with banana leaves.

Another secret of this particular recipe is that the water used must be mixed with wood ash. The arepa valluno is consumed mainly in the department of Valle del Cauca. It is also eaten in the departments of Cauca and Nariño. The dough works well with water and salt and arepas are very thin. They begin to roast until toasted, buttered eat. You see, every Latin American country has its culture and traditions and use of the arepa is part of the idiosyncrasy of our people. The recipe of the week in Bogota cheese arepas, a delight to the palate. See you soon friends. Write to juliopena@dalilasgourmet.com or contact us at our website: www.dalilasgourmet.com

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