I was born in Cuba and moved to Venezuela as a child, so I quickly adopted Venezuelan traditions and food costumes. Arepas are part of my blood. I grew up eating arepas almost daily as my mother mixed Venezuelan and Cuban cuisine.

Arepas are cornmeal cakes that originated hundreds of years ago in a region that now makes up Colombia, Venezuela, and Panama. Traditionally, they were cooked in a pan called a budare. But they can also be grilled, baked, or fried.

Venezuelan arepas tend to be smaller and thicker, while Colombian arepas tend to be sweeter, thinner, and stuffed with cheese.

 Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups water 
• One teaspoon salt 
• 2 cups pre-cooked white cornmeal (such as P.A.N.®) 
• 2 tbsp of olive oil 
• 2 tbsp coconut oil 

Preparation steps: 

• Stir water, olive oil, and salt in a medium bowl; gradually stir in cornmeal with a fork or your fingers until the mixture forms a soft, moist, malleable dough. 
• Form dough into eight 2-inch diameter balls; pat each to flatten into a 3/8-inch-thick arepa patty. 
• Heat the coconut oil in a square skillet over medium heat; grill arepas in batches until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer cooked arepas to a paper towel-lined plate to drain until cool enough to handle. 
• Slice halfway through each arepa horizontally with a thin serrated knife to form a pita-like pocket.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes