World Flavors Cookbook

Venezuela Recipes

Venezuelan cuisine centers on corn, which appears in nearly every meal as arepas, cachapas (sweet corn pancakes), hallacas (tamale-like holiday dishes), and chicha. The pabellón criollo — black beans, white rice, shredded beef, and fried plantain — is the national plate, as colorful as the Venezuelan flag.

Recipes from Venezuela

• Arepas de Harina de Maíz

  The soul of Venezuelan cuisine — versatile corn cakes that are grilled or fried and filled with a nearly infinite variety of savory ingredients.

• Pabellón Criollo

  Venezuela's national dish: a colorful plate of shredded beef, black beans, white rice, and sweet fried plantains.

• Hallacas Navideñas

  Venezuela's extraordinary Christmas dish: corn dough filled with a complex meat stew, olives, raisins, and capers, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled.

• Pabellón Criollo

  Venezuela's national dish—a colorful plate of shredded beef, black beans, white rice, and fried ripe plantains.

• Arepa Reina Pepiada

  The most famous Venezuelan arepa, stuffed with a creamy chicken and avocado salad.

• Cachapa con Queso

  Sweet corn pancakes filled with a thick slice of soft, fresh white cheese.

• Hallaca

  The soul of Venezuelan Christmas—a complex corn dough parcel filled with a multi-meat stew, wrapped in plantain leaves.

• Tequeños

  Addictive fried cheese sticks wrapped in a thin, crunchy wheat dough.

• Arepa Pelúa

  A popular arepa variety stuffed with shredded beef and plenty of shredded yellow cheese.

• Arepa de Pabellón

  The national dish stuffed inside an arepa—shredded beef, black beans, fried plantains, and white cheese.

• Mandoca

  Sweet corn and plantain donuts in a ring shape, typical of the Zulia region.

• Cachito de Jamón

  A soft, crescent-shaped bread roll stuffed with chopped ham and sometimes bacon.

• Empanada de Pabellón

  Large, crispy corn turnovers stuffed with shredded beef, beans, plantains, and cheese.

• Asado Negro

  Slow-cooked eye of round roast in a dark, sweet and savory wine sauce.

• Torta de Pan (Bread Pudding)

  A dense and moist cake made from leftover bread soaked in milk and sugar.

• Chupe de Pollo

  A thick, creamy chicken soup with corn, potatoes, and cubes of fresh cheese.

• Quesillo

  The Venezuelan version of flan—creamy, riddled with tiny holes, and covered in dark caramel.

• Perico Venezolano

  Venezuelan-style scrambled eggs with tomatoes, onions, and peppers.

• Carne en Vara

  Traditional beef grilled on long wooden stakes over an open fire, typical of the Plains (Llanos).

• Golfeados

  Sweet, snail-shaped rolls flavored with anise and panela, served with a slice of salty cheese.

• Pizca Andina

  A comforting milk and potato soup from the Venezuelan Andes, traditionally eaten for breakfast.

• Arroz con Leche

  Creamy rice pudding cooked with condensed milk and a hint of cinnamon.

• Pasticho Venezolano

  The Venezuelan take on Lasagna—layers of pasta, Bolognese sauce, Béchamel, and ham.

• Torta Negra (Black Cake)

  A rich Christmas fruitcake macerated in rum and wine for months.

• Majarete

  A traditional corn and coconut pudding, typically eaten during Lent and Easter.

• Polvorosa de Pollo

  A savory chicken pie with a uniquely crumbly and buttery crust that "turns to dust" in the mouth.

• Dulce de Lechosa

  Green papaya slices cooked in a spiced sugar syrup until translucent and firm.

• Pan con Pavo (Turkey Sandwich)

  A traditional holiday sandwich using leftover Christmas turkey and gravy.

• Chicha de Arroz

  A thick, sweet, and creamy rice drink served with plenty of cinnamon and condensed milk.

• Pan de Jamón

  A traditional Christmas bread roll filled with ham, bacon, raisins, and green olives.

• Ensalada de Gallina

  A hearty potato and carrot salad with shredded chicken, a staple of Christmas dinner.

• Carne Esmechada

  Flavorful shredded beef stewed with tomatoes, onions, and garlic.

• Besos de Coco (Coconut Kisses)

  Dense, dark cookies made with grated coconut and panela.

• Guasacaca

  Venezuela's signature avocado sauce, tangier and more liquid than Mexican guacamole.

• Arepa de Coco

  Coconut-flavored arepas, usually grilled over wood fire on the coast.

• Mojo Isleño

  A spicy and vinegary pepper sauce typical of the coastal regions.

• Torta de Auyama (Pumpkin Cake)

  A dense, flan-like pumpkin cake flavored with cinnamon.

• Carabinas

  Andean-style tamales made with fresh corn and stuffed with beans and cheese.

• Arepa Reina Pepiada

  The most iconic Venezuelan arepa filling — shredded chicken mixed with creamy avocado, mayonnaise, and peas.

• Arepas Rellenas de Queso

  Venezuelan cheese-stuffed arepas — the simplest and most beloved arepa, split and filled with salty white cheese that melts inside.

• Caraotas Negras

  Venezuelan black beans cooked with papelón, paprika, and cumin — sweet, creamy, and inseparable from the national pabellón criollo.

• Cachapas con Queso de Mano

  Sweet fresh corn pancakes topped with queso de mano (soft Venezuelan cheese) — the roadside delicacy of Venezuelan highways.

• Hallacas de Navidad

  Venezuelan Christmas tamales — corn masa dyed with achiote and filled with a rich beef, pork, and chicken stew with olives, raisins, and capers, wrapped in banana leaves.

• Pelao Guayanés

  Rice and chicken cooked with papelón and paprika until golden — the signature rice dish of the Guayana region of eastern Venezuela.

• Mandocas

  Venezuelan fried corn and papelón rings — a sweet, savory ring-shaped fritter from Zulia state eaten for breakfast with cheese.

• Bienmesabe

  Venezuelan coconut cream dessert sauce — sweet, thick, and fragrant, served over quesillo or eaten as a dessert on its own.

• Mojito en Coco (Garlic Coconut Sauce)

  Venezuelan garlic-coconut dipping sauce from Margarita Island — pungent with garlic, creamy from coconut, served with fish and seafood.

• Tequeños Clásicos

  Venezuelan cheese-filled dough sticks — crispy outside, molten white cheese inside, the indispensable appetizer at every Venezuelan party.

• Quesillo

  Venezuelan flan with caramel — smooth, rich, and made with condensed milk and whole eggs, with a thick caramel shell.

• Papitas de Leche

  Venezuelan milk and sugar fudge balls dusted with powdered sugar — the sweet shop candy of every Venezuelan childhood.

• Sopa de Pollo Venezolana

  Venezuelan chicken soup with fideos (thin noodles), potato, corn, and papelón — the restorative soup drunk when sick or cold.

• Papelón con Limón

  Venezuela's national refreshment — raw cane sugar (papelón) dissolved in cold water with fresh lime, the working person's drink.