- Creole food has managed to captivate foreign palates from different countries for its peculiar seasoning and originality.
This article was originally published in September 2023.
Since 2013, every second Saturday in September is celebrated as World Arepa Day, which this year falls on September 14. The idea of holding this commemoration was born from the Organization of Venezuelans in the World (Venmundo), with the aim of creating a sense of belonging in their new communities as migrants.
Venezuelan cuisine is one of the richest and most diverse in the world, with flavors that combine the native but also with Spanish, indigenous and even African influences. In recent years, with the wave of migration, this cuisine has been gaining popularity; in fact, it is increasingly common to find Venezuelan restaurants in exotic or distant countries.
In Japan, for example, there is the restaurant Tokyo ArepaThis site offers a wide variety of Venezuelan dishes, such as arepas, cachapas, tequeños and empanadas.
In Australia, Melbourne Fool is another example of Venezuelan cuisine that conquers everyone who tries it. This restaurant offers a menu that includes traditional Venezuelan dishes, such as pabellón criollo, guasacaca and, of course, arepas.
In Thailand, the restaurant Funky BKK Kitchenlocated in the city of Bangkok, offers a unique experience when it comes to Venezuelan food.
These are just a few examples of the national cuisine present in different parts of the world and are a sample of the cultural wealth of the country.
These restaurants offer diners the opportunity to sample the delicious flavors of Venezuelan cuisine or to give Venezuelans in other latitudes the experience of remembering their own.
Areperas outside the borders
In Pingtung, a tourist area in southern Taiwan surrounded by parks, mountains and beaches, there is a small food truck with graffiti that sells arepas under the name Pachamama.
Miss Arepain Hawaii, has become famous for its distinguished Caribbean flavours. Wilson Vera is the founder of this space.
“I was reading about every Hawaiian island and finally decided to come to Maui. The first time I came I stayed for almost seven months. For me this island is like a Margarita from the good times in Venezuela: beautiful and touristy. When I returned to New York I already had in mind the idea of closing things there to come to Hawaii; a project that came to fruition while I was starting my relationship with my girlfriend (Gabrielle Vasile) and the Covid-19 pandemic was developing,” said Vera in a previous interview for The Diary.
The menu includes a repertoire of typical Venezuelan arepas: pelúa, sifrina, domino, pabellón and reina pepiada.
Typical fillings
Pelúa: Shredded meat and yellow cheese.
Sifrina: is a combination of chicken, avocado and yellow cheese.
Dominoes: has black beans and cheese.
Pabellón: made with shredded beef, black beans, plantain and cheese.
Reina pepiada: it has chicken and avocado. Red onion, a little tomato, mayonnaise, parsley, and other spices are usually added to the mixture, depending on the tastes of each cook.
The exodus of Venezuelans is bringing Creole food to remote places, and foreign palates are finding in the arepa an easy way to unite Venezuelan gastronomy with their local culinary customs.
Sweet Chili Pepper in Paris, France, delights locals with the flavors of Venezuelan cuisine. It is a restaurant truck run by Venezuelans Daniela Baland Aldrey and Luis Alfredo Machado and the space where they dedicate themselves to the preparation of arepas with various fillings.
In Australia, a Venezuelan woman named Alejandra Utrera decided to show the public the delights of Venezuelan arepas in the city of Brisbane.
Arepa House It is named after stand where Utrera offers the public various options of the typical Venezuelan dish. Some of them are pabellón, pelúa, reina pepiada, domino and catira.
Churros and Venezuelan products in the world
In a country like Ireland, a Venezuelan decided to prepare and sell Venezuelan-style churros.
Specifically in the city of Dublin, Sweet Churro offers a varied menu that includes arepas, empanadas, traditional Venezuelan coffee and of course, churros.
Tastes of VenezuelaMore than a restaurant, it is a store specializing in Venezuelan products also in Dublin. There they offer a wide selection such as precooked corn flour to make arepas, black beans and Venezuelan white cheese. They also have a variety of typical preparations, sauces, sweets and Creole sweets.
The Venezuelan Canteen It is a place that offers “the best Venezuelan food in Switzerland.” They sell everything from empanadas to pabellón criollo, although they also offer hallacas and asado negro tastings.
In Canada, there are a dozen places to go to try the national food. Starting with Latin Basketin Mississauga, a restaurant that offers typical dishes such as tequeños, bocadillos and golfeados.
In Quebec, it is found bocadillowhich offers an exquisite gastronomic experience to its diners. Cachapas, hamburgers, tequeños and other native flavors can be enjoyed but only under the delivery modality and pick up.
Venezuela is in every corner
The traditional hallaca or tequeños are famous in Spain, although because of their popularity, arepas represent Venezuelans in the most remote places on the planet. That is why they are available in the main cities of the world: New York, Paris, Rome, London, among others.
As well as in Arab countries. An example of this is the restaurant Amazonaslocated in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), a place to taste the country’s typical dishes.
There is a gastronomic portal under the name of Venezuelan Restaurants, which brings together more than 400 Venezuelan food establishments around the world. Although some have closed, there remains a record of how many local entrepreneurs have achieved their dream of having a place that reminds them of their country.
This is the top 5 of the establishments that appear in their ranking:
–Arepadosand Aruba
–They are sleepingin Germany
–Lyna’s Arepas, in Czech Republic
–Pepa L’ArepaItalia
–CylantrosVenezuela Kennesaw, Georgia
–Somersault Angel Gourmet Guatemala
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2024-09-14 21:53:18
