Is it difficult to determine the origin of Arepa?

La Arepa is the fundamental pillar of the Venezuelan diet, but it is certainly present in other countries of the region, such as Colombia. Between these two sister nations there is a silent struggle over who owns the invention of this popular food.
Venezuelan Arepa

The truth is that it is difficult to determine the origin of the Arepa, because at some point in the history of the continent, both countries shared territory, then the Indians, who are responsible for their creation, which could be present in this land.

It is important, for those who do not know, but starting from the precooked Arepa corn flour version, to explain a little how this Latin American bread originated. It turns out that the origin comes from the staple diet of indigenous, which consisted of cassava, hunting, fishing, harvesting and corn elements that was naturally consumed cooked, drinks and side dishes, until they found a new use of wheat corn.

The first phase of corn bread was a process in which the wheat chewed by natives and placed in a container to form a dough or batter that was baked clay rounded bread. Secondly, the corn kernels are milled into one stone with another over going processing of the grains, this method has several variations, but all have in common the making of objects to obtain an impastoble and flexible corn. Last but not least, the invention of the pylon, which is a larger unit poses in wood is usually a tree trunk carved inside to form a cavity, and a bridge of the same material, the grain is ground in this kind of big mortar.

The peculiarity of this way of doing Arepas, is that it still remains in many homes in Venezuela, only so laborious that it is, has become a special way to make arepas, called "Pilao corn arepas," for the same use as the pylon. Arepa that not only has a less refined and thicker texture, but is also cooked exclusively in wood or grids.

Arepa 'Pilao mais' or 'empty arepa', has remained as a method for years, until in the 50s, when the rapid industrialization process that led us to this day began, it was invented corn flour precooked , which needs only water and salt to create a homogeneous mass that can be cooked in different ways and consumed in many ways. Here begins not only the diversification of the Ape, but its internationalization, because it has become easy to prepare, at least in its elementary form.

Throughout the Venezuelan territory, it is possible to obtain many types of Arepas, not necessarily corn, such as manioc or banana, or a mixture of corn with these two. It can also be obtained with a mixture mixed with cheese, small pieces of pork rind and a thousand other variations, which are allowed thanks to the neutrality of the flavor of the basic dough.

Resuming the question of Venezuela and Colombia, in fact to separate the territories, how to eat Arepa was also separate, the Colombian Arepa has different uses and consumes different, there is also an important step in the preparation of mass difference, which is similar for the Pilao grain, but its taste, although delicious, is different, and has been made popular in other ways, such as the famous egg arepa, which is a open cake, cornmeal fried with an egg inside and from to fry.

In contrast, the Venezuelan Arepa is internationally famous for its quaint and historical stuffed names, Reina Pepeada (chicken with avocado, mayonnaise and peas), Sifrina (ham and cheese), Pelua (meat and chicken desmechados), Domino ( cheese black beans), Llanera (grilled meat with tomato and cheese), among many others.

Arepa's versatility lies in the fact that it is a food that has no time for consumption, it can be breakfast, lunch or dinner, and it is the Venezuelans favorite after rumba a good night and never fails at the end of the marriages and graduations.