Venezuelan arepas
In eastern Venezuela, the most common variety is usually about three to eight inches (7.5 to 20 cm) in diameter and about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick. Larger arepas can be found, made with either white or yellow corn. In the western Andes they are flatter, are typically quarter of an inch (0.6 cm) or less in thickness and three to four inches in diameter, and are made of wheat flour. An arepa can be eaten with a filling or with a topping. A filled arepa is called an arepa rellena or a Venezuelan tostada, although the latter term is not commonly used today. Also, there are plenty of sauces to season them while eating them, such as guasacaca and picante (hot sauce).
Venezuelans prepare arepas depending on personal taste or preference and the region in which they are made. Venezuelan varieties include:
- Traditional corn (maize)
- Corn flour (arepa blanca or viuda)
- Wheat flour (preñaditas in Venezuelan slang)
- Sweet (arepa dulce)
- Cheese (arepa de queso)
- Coconut(arepa de coco)
- Andean (arepa andina)
- Manioc (arepa de yuca)
- Reina pepiada - filled with avocado, chicken, and mayonnaise
- Baked (arepas horneadas)
- Fried (arepa frita)
- Arepa pelúa - with yellow cheese and pulled beef
- Arepa con queso guayanés - with soft Guayanés cheese, similar to mozzarella
- Arepa con queso de mano - with firm white cheese from eastern Venezuela
- Arepa catira - with yellow cheese and shredded chicken
- Arepa de chicharrón - with crisped pork skin
- Arepa de dominó - white cheese and black beans
- Arepa de Perico - made with perico, a Caribbean type of scrambled eggs
- Arepa viuda ("widow" arepa) - an empty arepa usually eaten with soup
- Arepa rumbera("party" arepa)- with pork meat
- Arepa llanera - with cuts of beef (parrilla or barbecue), tomato slices, avocado slices and fresh white cheese
- Arepa con cazón - with school shark
- Arepa Cabimera - from the city of Cabimas in Zulia state. They are fried arepas cut into squares covered with cheese, jam, grained carrots, chicken, and boiled eggs.
Other fillings include guacuco (a shellfish), ham, quail eggs with pink sauce, and octopus. Specialized areperas can be found across Venezuela, serving a wide array of fillings.
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