Arepas

Meet the arepa, a staple food in Venezuela. Arepas are flat, round cakes that are best eaten at any time of the day or night.

There are many versions — grilled, baked, or fried, and made of corn or wheat. The cooked arepa is sliced open and stuffed with fillings like veggies, meat, cheese or scrambled eggs to make a self-contained sandwich.

In Caracas, arepas have many nicknames. At 24-hour areperas, partygoers line up to feast on a “Reina Pepiada,” (chicken salad and avacado) rumored to be a favorite of a former Miss Universe. A plain arepa is called a viuda or “widow,” because it’s all alone. A chicken and cheese arepa is called catira or “blondie,” for its yellow color.

The late-night areperas, like Misia Jacinta in the Caracas neighborhood of Chacaito, are great gathering places where talented local musicians often come together to jam. In Caracas, you can have an arepa at each meal and never eat the same kind twice!