Arepa: Classic & Contemporary Recipes for Venezuela's Daily Bread (Irena Stein)

Over 50 recipes introducing and celebrating Venezuela’s irresistible and most popular street food, the arepa.

The arepa—a crisp round pocket made from corn flour—is one of Venezuela’s defining foods. Gluten-free and dairy-free, arepas are endlessly adaptable, unarguably delicious, and fun to eat. From chicken to cheese, avocado, and pork, just about anything you would put between two slices of bread can fit into an arepa. With a growing number of arepa bars opening globally and top chefs and food lovers alike discovering Venezuelan cuisine, arepa fever is spreading fast! 

Arepa will introduce this celebrated little pocket to everyday eating, first by teaching how to make arepa dough from scratch, then providing instructions on how to cook them, and pairing them with countless fillings and flavor combinations. Making arepas is easily accomplished in any home kitchen with four simple ingredients—corn flour, water, oil, and salt—and they can be assembled in advance. They contain no replacement or unnatural ingredients, making them way healthier than most gluten-free bread recipes. No rising is required, making the dough easier than bread, and there’s no rolling, making them less tricky than tacos. With a little practice, it will become simple to add arepas to your culinary repertoire.