Arepas: what is an arepa and why do you want to taste one?

If you’ve been browsing our website, you may have already found traces of Latin!

Now our Latin roots are even more present in our website and in our new product line: Arepa Shop!

Introducing: Arepa Shop.
Arepa Shop is Alma’s concept to celebrate Latin roots and a multicultural world. Arepa Shop Amsterdam blends two worlds loved by one soul.

Now you may be wondering what an arepa is and why it is so important.

We want to tell you everything we know about arepas, where they come from, what they mean to northern Latin culture, why you should try arepas and why they are so important to us, Alma catering Amsterdam.

What is an Arepa?
Let’s start with the basics. What is an arepa? An arepa is a dough formed into a pastry. Most arepas are made from white corn flour, water and salt.

You first mix the ingredients in a bowl, then make a nice round dough ball, then press it into a flat round piece of dough, a patty, and Voila! there you have your Arepa! You may think it looks like a pita! Yes, it does, but it tastes better, if you ask me 😉

If you have your arepas ready! then you are going to fry them, some people deep fry them and others, like us, grill them. Grilling arepas looks like this:

When hot and ready, serve them as shown in this photo.

How do you eat Arepas?
That’s a good question, because different people eat them in different ways. However, there are a few trends that are strongly related to the country the eater comes from.

Let’s start with the basics. You can use them as bread! Just to eat that salsa or salsita you like so much!

Salsitas like these, for example. Spicy sauce, guasacaca an avocado-like sauce that is really great or the famous Colombian hogao!

Let’s learn from the best arepa eaters! Colombians and Venezuelans, the same family a few hundred years ago, still kind of siblings who argue all the time, but deep down they love each other.

How do they eat arepas in Venezuela?

Arepas in Venezuela are usually eaten split open and filled with delicious ingredients, they can be grilled or fried!

By the way, only split them open when your arepas are hot, otherwise they will break!

Ok, where were we left off…. So, Venezuelans… They have their traditional fillings. These fillings even have names and everywhere you go, that name corresponds to the same mix of ingredients or the same type of filling.

But really, you can put whatever you want in your arepa!

We encourage you to try different combinations! This mix of flavors can really surprise you.

Here are a few examples of how Venezuelans eat them!

Some of the most famous Arepa fillings are:

1. Reina pepiada, which is a mix of chicken, onions, avocado and mayonnaise, among other ingredients.
2. Carne mechada (Shredded beef).
3. Domino. This is black beans and white cheese.
4. Pollo guisado (Shredded chicken).
5. Arepa pelu’a. Shredded steak and cheddar cheese.
6. Tuna arepa (Deep-fried arepa stuffed with tuna).

Arepas are there for every taste!

Now let’s go to Colombia!

How do they eat Arepas in Colombia?
In Colombia, in Medellin for example, Paisas, referring to Colombians born in the region where Medellin is located, Antioquia, Paisas eat them with butter on top and some quesito! Queso paisa. So white young cheese made in Antioquia.

In Colombia you also find cheese in the arepa very often. Wait what… yes! In the arepa. So when they make those, they put cheese in the ball and then they press the arepita flat. and on the grill!
When your arepita is ready, you bite into it and find this delicious melted cheese!

In northern Colombia, in the Caribbean, around Cartagena, they put an egg in the arepa and deep fry it!

This taste is indescribable, something you just have to try in Colombia!

And there are many more variations, because as we know, Latinos are very creative.

And last but not least! Let me introduce the cachapa or arepa de choclo. The arepa loved by everyone, Colombians, Venezuelans and the whole world!

This arepa is more like a pancake if you want to compare it to something. It is a little sweet! Made from corn, this is the Latin pancake.

You can eat it by itself or like in Venezuela, by adding all the ingredients you like!

It’s really delicious this cachapa.

But wait, we don’t yet know where the arepa comes from!

What is the origin of the arepa?
There has always been an eternal Colombo-Venezuelan battle over who is the original creator of arepa.

The truth is that all we know is that the arepa is a pre-Columbian dish from the area that is now Venezuela and Colombia. Instruments used to make flour for arepa, for example: clay plates were often found at archaeological sites in the area. Although it has not been specified in which country an arepa was first prepared, it has been possible to determine the earliest dates of the presence of maize in Colombia and in Venezuela. In Colombia, for example, the first mention of the existence of maize dates to about 3,000 years ago, while the estimate in Venezuela is about 2,800 years ago. In other words, the emergence of the arepa most likely occurred almost simultaneously in both countries, but well before both areas became a country with borders.

Today, arepas are also eaten in Panama, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago and the Canary Islands, among others.

When do you eat arepas?
This one is easy! Arepas can be eaten anytime – in the morning, at lunch, as a snack or in the evening!
Arepas always fit because they easily fit any taste. In the morning you can eat them with huevos rancheros, tofu or just cheese!

For lunch, you can put anything you like in them and they are just delicious. If you like meat or are vegan, there are countless options that will make your day more enjoyable.

Dinner, same situation! Choose your ingredients and voilá there you have a tasty option to feel cozy!

We deliver in Amsterdam, so if this is your city, count us in!

Why arepas so important to us?
Arepas are important to us! They represent our Latin roots, our love for home, for our traditions, our tropico and the warmth of our tierra. Holland and Amsterdam is home now! Amsterdam for us is freedom, cycling, openness, a chance to reinvent ourselves, be creative and be whatever you want to be! We love it and want to combine a bit of the warmth of there with the freedom here, and more importantly, we want to share it with anyone who wants to try it. You know what they say: sharing is caring! and believe us, we feel it and we care! We want you to try it and maybe find those flavors that remind you of home if you’re a Latino or have lived in Latin America and remind you of the love you’ve been given or maybe to discover new flavors and with them new realities and maybe a new love.

We want Amsterdammers and everyone living in this city to discover the amazing explosion of flavor that arepas are and the different combinations you can make!

We hope you now have a better understanding of what an arepa is 😉 if there is something you think we should add, please let us know.

Arepa Shop’s menu revolves around Latin food, traditional arepas and vegan arepas, there is something for everyone!

Arepas with minced beef, chicken and de reina (chicken & avocado)

Vegan arepas
We believe in a world that can be perfectly happy with a plant-based diet! We understand that eating plant-based can be challenging, but with a little creativity, it is possible.

We have some vegan arepas with ingredients like jack fruit, pulled oats and tofu rancheros. These ingredients are central to these arepas and are yet another proof that eating vegan can also be fun! You can mix anything with anything and find the ones you like best.

We hope you give arepas a chance and if you already know them, keep enjoying them.

With us you will find a range of Latin food that you can have delivered in Amsterdam! Take a look at our menu and chat with us if you have any questions or want to share your love.

Arepas handmade with in Amsterdam!