Colombia
In Colombia, the arepa has deep roots in the colonial farms and the cuisine of the indigenous people. While its preparation was once a tedious process of processing and cooking raw corn, today, they are usually bought already prepared or made from "instant" flours.
Arepas are usually eaten for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. Common toppings include butter, cheese, scrambled eggs, Colombian chorizo, and hogao.
- Egg (arepa de huevo or, colloquially, arepa 'e huevo) - this variety originated from the Caribbean coast, but is popular in most major cities. This arepa is deep fried with a single raw egg inside that is cooked by the frying process. Egg arepas are made with yellow corn dough and fried in the same manner as Colombian empanadas, and are often sold alongside other traditional Colombian foodstuffs at food stands. One variety of egg arepa has shredded beef added as well.
- Cheese (arepa de queso, arepa de quesillo) - is either made with cheese mixed into the ingredients or filled with grated cheese before it is cooked (grilled or fried, in this case).
- Arepa Boyacense - these come from the department of Boyacá. They are very hard and dense, and are typically about three to four inches across and filled with a sweet cheese.
- Arepa Valluna - is the variety unique to Cali and the rest of the Cauca valley. It is made only with cornmeal, water and salt, and it is buttered before eating, much like toast.
- Arepa rellena
- Arepa cariseca
- Arepa de laja
- Arepa de maiz pelado
- Arepa de peto
- Arepa de choclo (or chocolo) - is made with sweet corn and farmer's white cheese.
- Arepa antioqueña - a small, spherical arepa, without salt, served to accompany soups, especially mondongo is common in the department of Antioquia.
- Arepa paisa - a very large, flat arepa made of white maize without salt, but accompanied by meat or butter on top is common in the coffee-producing region, often served with hogao.
- Arepa de arroz - is made with cooked, mashed rice instead of corn dough.
- Arepa santandereana - originates from the area around Bucaramanga. It is also called arepa de maiz pelado. It is made with yellow corn and has a distinct flavor due to the pork fat added during the preparation. It is usually dry, but soft.
- Baked - is variously called arepa de maiz or arepa de queso at bakeries. Bakeries in Bogotá rarely sell the typical fried or grilled arepas, but instead sell a large, baked version, made with yellow corn flour and often with a single cube of cheese on top. It has a similar taste and texture to a North American corn muffin.
In the western part of Colombia, especially around Bogotá, Cali and Medellín, a traditional breakfast includes an arepa with hot chocolate.
Companies, such as Don Maíz, have started to market new, less traditional varieties in Colombian grocery stores that are growing in popularity. These include cassava-flavored arepas (based on the more traditional pan de yuca) and whole-grain arepas made of brown rice, wheat germ and sesame seeds.
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