Masala Herb

Global Food & Travel

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • TRAVEL
  • Contact
  • New? Start HERE!

Colombian Arepas

February 27, 2019 by Daniel James 4 Comments

374shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
Daniel James
The easy arepas recipe for making a Colombian Arepa is quite simple. Prepare and cook the corn arepa recipe  to make your own batch. Getting them right may take a bit of practice but they are not difficult. Enjoy your own freshly prepared gluten free arepas.
Total Time: 40 minutes
5 from 1 vote
Jump to Recipe
Colombian Arepas

Colombian Arepas are popular flatbreads made of corn.

Daniel from Layer Culture is an expert in Colombian and South American travel food culture.

He shares his arepas colombianas recipe further below.

Colombian Arepas

What is the Colombian Arepa?

The Colombian arepa is a versatile type of flatbread.

Sometimes they are also known as Colombian pancakes amongst the English speaking countries.

They are prepared with arepa flour, a variety of ground cornmeal.

Did you know that the Arepa, that has been at the heart of the Colombian family meal for many years?

Almost every Colombia home prepares corn arepas from scratch.

Not only that, but the Arepa has a cultural significance to the people that prepare, cook and eat them.

Also, there are many different types of Arepas in Colombia, depending on which region you are in.

One thing that is certain when it comes to Colombian cuisine is that the tasty arepa is a pretty big deal.

Colombian Arepas

This is a Colombian Arpea.

A Brief History of the Arepa

If you have done any traveling in Colombia, youโ€™ll know that the Arepa makes up part of daily life for Colombians.

Like going without a cup of coffee, many Colombians simply cannot live without it.

People who have studied its history have said that the Arepa is a food that existed way before the Spanish conquerors arrived in the Americas.

The Colombian Arepa recipe is made from corn.

The arepa ingredients are a staple for the indigenous people throughout the continent.

Today you can buy the Arepa ready packaged and almost ready to eat, all you have to do is heat it up for a couple of minutes on the grill or by frying it at home and you are good to go.

Colombian Arepas

A woman cooking Arepas in Santa Rosa, Colombia.

How to eat a Colombian Arepa

Arepas are so versatile because they can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Usually, you find Arepas served as part of a full meal, an appetizer or as part of a side dish.

One thing that is common at the Colombian dining table is to see Arepas served with different toppings.

For example, the Arepa paisa, which is very common in the Antioquia region of Colombia; will be topped with butter and served with a block of cheese and an egg.

The truth is though, you can add and mix whatever flavor combination you desire and youโ€™ll enjoy it.

Think of an Arepa as a vessel for helping you combine the ingredients that you love.

Venezuelan Arepas, on the other hand, are stuffed arepas.

The arepas filling can consist of various ingredients.

The Colombian version of the Arepa almost always has itโ€™s ingredients on-top.

Youโ€™ll find that in Colombiaโ€™s Coffee Region, the Arepa is usually sold by street vendors and prepared fresh daily by a neighbor, or in restaurants and takeaways.

Colombian Arepas

More South American Arepa variations:

  • Dominican Arepa
  • Cheese Arepas (aka arepa con queso or arepas de queso)
  • Sweet Arepas de Choclo

So, now weโ€™ve uncovered what the Colombian Arepa is, will you try one?

The good news is, now you donโ€™t have to go all the way to Colombia to get your hands on one, and you can make your own at home.

Dear Reader, did you try the Recipe?

Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas with us in the comment section further below!

PIN to save for later!

Colombian Arepas
Italian seasoning spices

So you love SPICES and HERBS?


GET 5 FREE SEASONING LESSONS

Type in your email address below.

Including free access to the

Seasoning Members only Club!


SUCCESS!

Check your Inbox for the first email

Here are some more freebies

  • ๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ SEASONING CLUB FB Member Access
  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Recipes from around the World E-Book
  • ๐ŸŒฟSpice, Herb, Seasoning Cheat Sheet
  • ๐Ÿฏ Printable Jam Labels
  • ๐Ÿž๏ธNo-Nonsense Travel Checklist
Colombian Arepas

Colombian Arepa Recipe

The easy arepas recipe for making a Colombian Arepa is quite simple. Prepare and cook the corn arepa recipe  to make your own batch. Getting them right may take a bit of practice but they are not difficult. Enjoy your own freshly prepared gluten free arepas.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: South American
Keyword: corn flatbread, homemade arepas
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 2 arepas
Calories: 312kcal
Recipe by: Daniel James

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Arepa Flour pre-cooked, white or yellow
  • 1 cup Water warm
  • 2 Tablespoon Butter
  • Salt to taste
  • Cooking Spray
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Mix together the arepa flour, water, salt and butter in a large bowl.
  • Knead all ingredients together until the mixture has a soft consistency.
  • Add more water if too dry and more arepa flour if too moist.
  • Begin to form medium sized balls and place them between 2 sheets of plastic
  • Flatten the balls with a rolling pin until you reach your desired thickness. They are mostly 1/2-inch thick.
  • Make sure your arepa is round, cut off extras to shape it round if needed.
  • Spray a griddle with cooking spray or equivalent and turn on the stove to medium heat.
  • As soon as the griddle is hot enough you can add the Arepas one by one.
  • Cook the arepas on both sides golden or until you get it toasted to your preferred consistency.

Notes

  1. Precooked Arepa Flour is also known as Masarepa. Use yellow or white arepa maize flour.
  2. People outside of Latin America might not be able to get the right kind of arepa flour. There are other substitutes out there on the market but they alter the authentic taste and consistency of a traditional Colombia Arepa.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Colombian Arepa Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 312 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 7g35%
Cholesterol 30mg10%
Sodium 109mg5%
Potassium 152mg4%
Carbohydrates 44g15%
Fiber 3g12%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 350IU7%
Calcium 79mg8%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Made this? Get featured!Mention @real.masalaherb or tag #masalaherb!

This post may contain affiliate links that point to things or services that I recommend. This may include Amazon, getyourguide and booking.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

374shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

about masalaherb
Get to know me & Paul…

MasalaHerb.com as seen on

Comments

  1. Monica says

    July 18, 2020 at 7:02 pm

    5 stars
    This is exactly how my mother makes them! Very traditional recipe. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      July 20, 2020 at 12:38 pm

      You are welcome Monica ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  2. mjskitchen says

    March 6, 2019 at 8:03 pm

    I love Arepas! There is a Colombian restaurant a few blocks from my house that we eat at quite often. They have lovely arepas which I always order. However, never made them at home though. I make tortillas all of the time, but it looks like it’s time to tackle. Arepas! Thanks for the post and inspiration!

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      March 7, 2019 at 2:01 pm

      Oh really! How do you eat them? Do you top them the Colombian way or do you stuff them the Venezuelan way?

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Categories

Home
About
As seen in
Work with me
Contact
Free Newsletter
Terms and Conditions
Privacy Policy

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies.

Masala Herb is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Copyright © 2021 ยท Magazine Pro Theme On Genesis Framework ยท WordPress