Friday, September 03rd 2010

Venezuela - Venezuelan Recipes

Due to its location right in the central location of the Americas, numerous industrial and natural resources, not to mention the cultural diversity of the Venezuelan people, Venezuelan cuisine is quite diverse and can vary from region to region. A mixture of traditional Native Americian, European (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and French) as well as influence from various African cultures.

From the East with various seafood dishes to the Andes with the heavy usage of hearty potatoes and wheat to the Central region with its European-influenced cuisine, it is easy to find a dish that someone will greatly enjoy.

National dishes include pabellón criollo (plate of rice, shredded beef and stewed black beans served with plantains and egg), hallaca (a mixture of beef, pork, chicken, capers, raisins, and olives wrapped in maize), and arepa (flat, unleavened patty made of cornmeal which can be grilled, baked, or fried.)