Arepa Queens

One of the most culturally diverse countries on the planet, Canada, is made up of a vast number of immigrants from all over the world, and with them comes some of the most unique cultural traditions and incredible foods.

Friends Flor and Lucy immigrated to Canada from Latin America but for very different reasons. Here they found commonality in each other's rich Latin heritage.

I originally met Aunt Flor (I’ve since adopted her as my Aunt) when my wife and I ended up camping on her doorstep in Nicaragua one sweaty evening about six years earlier. Flors' story was fascinating and heartbreaking. I wrote an entire chapter about her in my book KLaiR titled “Body Boxes & Toothpaste Rations.”

Flor grew up in Nicaragua during the devastating years of the Contra and Sandinista wars of the 1980s. She and her family lived off impossibly low rations of every kind – especially food – and had to learn how to hide underground in their backyard to survive. The story is shocking, but unfortunately not uncommon as a large number of Canada's immigrant population has arrived here fleeing wars in their home countries.

On this day I’m near Campbellford, Ontario meeting up with Aunt Flor and her longtime friend Lucy who migrated from Venezuela via the USA in the 1980s. Lucy came to North America to explore better opportunities for her and her family. Lucy and her husband Christano had previously been living in Nebraska where he had gone to school before getting a job at the local nuclear power plant. That job gave him the education needed to then migrate to Oshawa Canada, where they have been residing ever since.

On this beautiful Ontario afternoon, Lucy is teaching me about one of Venezuela’s most recognized street and comfort foods, the arepa. A cornflour-filled delight often stuffed with meats, cheeses, and vegetables. The arepa is a staple in both Colombia and Venezuela and is similar in design to the El Salvadoran pupusa or the Mexican gordita. A dish that has remained relatively unchanged in its design as far back as history can record. There have been signs of the arepa and tools required to make them have been recorded over 3000 years old! The name arepa is said to come from the word erepa meaning cornbread, a word from the endangered Cumanagoto Cariban language from the eastern coastal people of Venezuela.

I’m happy to report the dish is alive and well in Canada, and today we are making Reina Pepiada. One of the most well known arepas in Venezuela, the Reina Pepiada translates to curvy Queen, named in honor of the 1955 Miss World champion Susana Duijm. Not only the first Venezuelan, but the first Latin American woman to win the Miss World title. 

Lucy and Flor prepare the Reina Pepiada by mixing seasoned shredded chicken with avocado, mayo, and salt to make a sort of avocado and chicken salad. Being the gringo that I am, I blurted out how interesting it was that they made chicken guacamole. Quickly corrected, I was told that adding avocado to something does not make it guacamole, silly gringo.

Hoping to show me a little flavor variety, they also prepared Arepa Perico as an alternate filling. This particular version is made from egg, tomato, onion, red pepper, and other seasonings. On the side was Aunt Flors' refried beans and feta cheese. Lucy explains that at home they would use queso blanco, a salty and crumbly white cheese similar to Canadian feta. She also notes that typically the Venezuelans prefer the black bean and the Nicaraguans prefer the red bean. Today we are going Nicaraguan style as the arepa collides with influences from three countries: Venezuela, Nicaragua & Canada. 

The fat little arepas had been prepared earlier and come out hot from the toaster oven. They are then cut open about halfway a bit like stuffing a pita. Inside goes an oversized spoonful of the Reina Pepiada mix followed by the Nicaraguan style refried beans and a sprinkling of Canadian feta. It looks like an overstuffed sandwich of sorts. Alternately you can line up the ingredients on your plate side by side and test them out one bite at a time.

The Spanish conversation around me amplifies and I close my eyes to take a huge bite. As the arepa hits my mouth, I’m instantly transported back to Cartagena, Colombia where I had my very first arepa experience. I had shipped my motorcycle from Panama to Colombia and was awaiting on its arrival for a week while exploring the vibrant streets of Cartagena. It was here I discovered my first ever arepa food cart. The song Despacito had just exploded onto the airways and you could hear it echoing throughout the cobblestone streets as people of all ages danced just for the sake of dancing. I sat eating my $0.25 arepa while the hot salty air of the Caribbean swept over me causing an almost instant sweat to run down onto one of three faded shirts I’d been rotating through for a year.  

    At that time while traveling through Central and South America, I was never able to experience an arepa in Venezuela as the borders were closed to incoming tourist traffic due to the ongoing and appalling deterioration of the country at the hands of Maduro. 

    Feeling a bit nostalgic I blurted out to Aunt Flor and Lucy, umm muy rico! Hoping that I can recall a few Spanish pleasantries to show my appreciation for not only the arepas but for taking the time to show me one of their cultural cuisines and traditions.

    I spent the rest of the day with the Latino duo listening to stories about Venezuela and Nicaragua and just like the last time I’d seen Aunt Flor, I was invited to camp on her doorstep. Some moments are worth repeating, and if you’re given the chance to visit Nicaragua, Colombia, and hopefully one day soon Venezuela, it will be well worth the effort.

Recipe:

6-8 servings.

It’s best to make the Reina Pepiada and refried beans the day before and the arepas the day of.


Reina Pepiada

• 3 Large Chicken Breasts
  
• 2-3 Ripe Avocados 
  
• 1 Yellow Onion
  
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
  
• 1 TSP Minced Garlic 
  
• Pinch Of Salt 
  
• Pinch Of Black Pepper 
  
• ½ TSP Cajun Seasoning
  
• ½ TSP Turmeric
  
• 1 TBSP Mayonnaise
  
• 1 TBSP Lime Juice
  
• 1 TSP Cilantro 
  

Slice the chicken into three and season with pepper, salt, cajun spice, and turmeric. Bring a pot of water (big enough to fit the chicken in) to a boil along with half of the diced onion and a teaspoon of garlic. Boil until cooked, about 10-15 minutes. Once cooled, shred the chicken with two forks.

Next mash the avocados along with the garlic, diced red pepper, and the other half of the diced onion. Mix with the mayo, lime juice, and cilantro. Once mixed then stir in the shredded chicken until coated by the avocado and mayo mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let stand in the fridge overnight. 

Refried Red Beans (Nicaraguan style)

• 2 Cups Dried Red Beans
  
• Water
  
• 1 TSP Minced Garlic
  
• 1 TBSP Salt
  
• 1 TSP Pepper
  
• 2 TBSP Soya Sauce
  
• ½ TSP Baking Soda
  
• ¼ Medium Yellow Onion
  
• ¼ Cup Butter
  

Rinse the beans 2 or 3 times until the water that comes off them is clear. Cover the beans with twice as much water as beans, add minced garlic, bring to a boil on high and stir every fifteen minutes. Once boiled, reduce to medium heat and stir every fifteen minutes. If the water drops below the bean level, top up with hot water, not cold. After the first thirty minutes add in the salt, pepper, soya sauce, and baking soda. 

In a separate pan add butter and diced onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes, then add it to the beans. 

Once the beans are soft, add another teaspoon of salt and let stand until cool enough to blend. Blend everything together until thick and smooth. The cooking time is about 2 hours.

Arepa

• 2 Cups P.A.N. Precooked Cornmeal (flour) 
  
• 1 tsp Salt. 
  
• 2.5 Cups Water.
  

Mix the corn flour with the salt then knead in the water until smooth and damp to the touch. Let rest for 5 minutes then roll into 6 or 8 equally sized balls depending on how big you want your arepa. Flatten with your palm until about ¾” thick and 4-5” wide. You can use parchment paper on both sides of the arepa if desired.

Cook in a buttered pan until lightly toasted on each side, about 5-6 minutes a side. Let them cool until warm enough to handle and cut open about halfway making an opening inside to stuff with the Reina Pepiada and refried beans. Then sprinkle it with cheese. 

Enjoy and good luck not making a mess with these!