What are Colombian arepas made of?

Traditionally, arepas are made by soaking and pounding dried corn in a pilón—a large mortar and pestle. The moist pounded dough would then be shaped into cakes and cooked. These days, most folks buy pre-cooked, dehydrated masarepa—arepa flour —that only needs to be mixed with water and salt to form a dough.

How do you eat a stuffed arepa?

place the other half of the still-warm arepa over the toppings and gently press down . You want the cheese, sauces and sour cream to melt into each other and create a warm-cool dynamic. Let it sit a minute or so. Eat your sandwich as Venezuelans do – with your hands!

How do you eat Colombian arepas?

Arepas are best served fresh and hot from the pan , as in right away. They are served at breakfast most commonly, but really arepas can be enjoyed any time of day.

What kind of cheese do Colombians use?

Quesito Colombiano can be compared to Mexican Queso Fresco, and is made by simply processing the curds of cow's milk. The result is a creamy, soft and white cheese. We Colombians love our Quesito and it is widely used in Colombian cuisine.

Is white or yellow flour better for arepas?

I prefer the fine yellow cornmeal because that's what I grew up using, but you can definitely substitute white if you can't find it.

What is the difference between Venezuelan arepas and Colombian arepas?

These corn griddle cakes are common in both countries — but in very differing styles. Venezuelan arepas are usually savory and stuffed with meat, cheese, and beans. Colombian arepas can be sweet, and are usually topped only with butter and quesito colombiano .

What is the English of arepa?

a Columbian or Venezuelan cornmeal cake , sometimes stuffed with savory fillings.

Where are stuffed arepas from?

Arepa (Spanish pronunciation: [aˈɾepa]) is a type of food made of ground maize dough stuffed with a filling, eaten in northern parts of South America since pre-Columbian times, and notable primarily in the cuisine of Colombia and Venezuela, but also present in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Central America.

What kind of cheese do you put on Venezuelan arepas?

Swap option: My family likes to open the arepa, spread butter on the inside, and fill with queso blanco (typically labeled "Colombian cheese" in supermarkets) , turkey and ham slices, avocado slices and served with fried or scrambled eggs. Use whatever your favorite fillings are!

What kind of cheese is in Venezuelan arepas?

Now you fill it with… pretty much anything. The most common type of cheeses for Arepas are what we in Venezuela call “ Queso Blanco ”, or simply white cheese.

What cheese do they use in Venezuela?

Queso de mano ("cheese of the hand") is a type of soft, white cheese (queso fresco) most commonly associated with Venezuelan cuisine. It is most often used as a filling for arepas and cachapa. The taste and consistency of the cheese most closely resembles that of mozzarella but is built up in layers.

What are arepas con queso made of?

The arepas are super simple to make. The dough is just masarepa, water, milk, salt, cheese, and butter . It's mixed together and left to rest to let the dough firm up a little. Then, a handful of dough is formed into a ball and then flattened into a patty.

Cheese-Stuffed Colombian-style Arepas Recipe (2024)

Corn
Venezuelan
Cheese

The browned exterior of these corn cakes hides a molten core of cheese.

J. Kenji López-Alt

Culinary Consultant

Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.

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Updated March 21, 2019

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Why It Works

Adding a little oil to the dough yields tender, moist arepas.
Shaping a portion of the dough to check its consistency before working in additional water ensures the arepas do not become dense and gummy.
Finishing the arepas in the even heat of an oven allows the cheese filling to fully melt without burning the sides.

The first time I went to Colombia, I was greeted by the countless variations of arepas, corn cakes traditionally made by dried corn pounded in a pilón—a large mortar and pestle—and formed into a pliable dough. I wrote about the experience in my primer on Colombian-style arepas and also shared a basic dough recipe for some of the common arepa varieties, including this intense version with a thick layer of melty cheese stuffed right into the middle.

I first had these cheese-stuffed arepas at an outdoor stand in the small town of La Calera, about an hour's ride outside of Bogotá. They were cooked on a little rotating stone pedestal near an open coal fire. Smoky, cheesy, and delicious.

To make them, follow my instructions for basic grilled or griddled arepas:

Making arepa dough takes a bit of practice, but if you've ever made tortillas, you're off to a good start. The key is to use only as much moisture as is necessary to get a dough that doesn't crack when you shape it. Too much water and you'll end up with dense, gummy arepas. The simplest arepas use only water and salt, but I find a bit of oil helps to keep them softer and moist as they cook.

Shaping an arepa is a two-handed process. If you're a real expert, you can do it without a work surface, simply pressing it back and forth between your hands until it forms a disk about a quarter-inch thick and four to six inches wide. I find it easier to shape on a cutting board, using one hand to flatten and the other to shape.

Cheese-Stuffed Colombian-style Arepas Recipe (3)

The key is to form two larger arepas, layer the cheese between them, carefully seal up the edges, and then use your hands to shape them into an even round.

Cheese-Stuffed Colombian-style Arepas Recipe (4)

Because they tend to be thicker than standard arepas and you need the cheese to be melty, I find that finishing them in a toaster oven (or on the cooler side of the grill if you're grilling them) is the easiest way to go about it.

April 19, 2012

Recipe Details

Cheese-Stuffed Colombian-Style Arepas Recipe

Active30 mins

Total30 mins

Ingredients

2 cups masarepa (see notes)
2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) finely crumbled queso fresco (optional, see notes)
1 cup water, plus more as necessary
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Kosher salt
1/2 pound mozzarella or other good melting cheese, sliced or grated
2 teaspoons butter

Directions

Preheat toaster oven or oven with rack in the center to 325°F (160°C). Combine masarepa, crumbled cheese (if using), water, and vegetable oil in a medium bowl and knead with hands until a dough is formed. Take a small amount and flatten it between your palms. If the edges crack, knead in more water, 1 tablespoon at a time until dough is supple and smooth but not sticky. Season dough to taste with salt, then cover and set aside for 5 minutes.
Divide dough into 8 even pieces and roll into balls. Working on a wooden cutting board or a regular cutting board with a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper on top of it, flatten each ball down to a disk about 5 inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick.
Place 1/4 of cheese into center of one disk, leaving a 1/2-inch gap all around.
Place a second disk on top and carefully seal the edges all around, trying to remove as much air from the center as possible.
Use one hand to shape the edges of the arepa so that it is an even round disk.
Melt butter in a 12-inch cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-low heat (see notes). Add arepas and cook, moving them around the pan and rotating them occasionally, until first side is charred in spots and a dry crust has formed, about 5 minutes. Flip arepas and cook on second side until a dry crust has formed, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a baking sheet and place in oven until heated through and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Special Equipment

12-inch cast iron skillet or nonstick skillet

Notes

Masarepa is dehydrated cooked cornmeal. It is available in the Latin section of most supermarkets in either white or yellow varieties. This recipe calls for white, but they can be freely substituted. Popular brands include Goya and P.A.N.

Crumbled cheese can be added to the dough if desired. Depending on the moisture level of the cheese, you may not need all the water. Colombian-style queso fresco is ideal. If you can't find it, substitute cotija, ricotta salata, or feta.

Arepas can also be cooked on a greased panini press or a grill over low heat.

Colombian-Style Arepas (Griddled or Grilled Corn Cakes)
Venezuelan-Style Arepas (Arepas Rellenas)
Venezuelan-Style Arepas with Pulled Pork (Arepas Rumberas)

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
269	Calories
7g	Fat
47g	Carbs
7g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	269
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g	9%
Saturated Fat 3g	13%
Cholesterol 11mg	4%
Sodium 241mg	10%
Total Carbohydrate 47g	17%
Dietary Fiber 4g	16%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 42mg	3%
Iron 2mg	12%
Potassium 181mg	4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Cheese-Stuffed Colombian-style Arepas Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

April 19, 2012

Cheese-Stuffed Colombian-Style Arepas Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

Special Equipment

Notes

Read More

FAQs

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