How to Make Homemade Arepas: Easy Arepas Recipe

Arepas are small, versatile griddled cakes made from a dough of freshly ground cornmeal. Arepas call for their own specific cornmeal flour, called masarepa (which is different from the masa harina used to make Mexican tortillas or tamales). Their preparation varies by region: They can be baked, fried, steamed, or boiled.

Arepas are traditionally eaten for breakfast or as appetizers and side dishes, but they can also be split open to create handheld sandwiches, similar to gorditas or pupusas.

Arepas can be traced back to the Timoto-Cuica tribes of pre-Columbian South America, in a region that has since split into Venezuela and Colombia. Thanks to archaeological discoveries of dough-making tools and griddle-like cooking implements, it’s thought that the arepa was developed around the same time as the cultivation of corn in the Andes, about 3,000 years ago.

The basic arepa, which is traditionally cooked on a griddle known as a budare, is crispy on the outside, with a soft, crumbly texture and earthy, sweet flavor reminiscent of cornbread on the inside. If you don’t have a traditional griddle, a cast iron skillet is a good substitute.

• Venezuelan arepas tend to be on the thicker side, which makes them easier to stuff with a range of ingredients: roasted veggies, fried plantain, black beans, fresh cheese, avocado, egg, or stewed meats, for starters.
• Colombian arepas tend to be thinner and flatter, with a sweeter batter. They’re mostly enjoyed warm with a smear of butter, or topped with simple add-ons like cheese or tender braised meat.