To
those who know me, it will come as no surprise that I spent this week’s hour
with Monica talking about food. I love food. I mean I know we all do, we kind
of have to in order to survive. But I mean I would go to culinary school in my
spare time if I could just to learn how to be a better cook, not because I have
any interest in being a chef. Thankfully, Monica shares my love of food. Our
main topic was the classic dishes of Venezuela- her native country. Contrary to
popular belief, not all countries to speak Spanish serve the Tex-Mex we get
here in the US. Venezuelan food, and most of the culture for that matter, is
heavily influenced by Spanish (as in the country of Spain) culture, and thus European
culture in general. Venezuelan food is not inherently spicy unlike a lot of
Mexican food. Black beans are present in nearly every dish as is Maize. For
your viewing pleasure, here are some of her favorite classic Venezuelan dishes…
#1. Cachapa- a pancake like maize patty usually served with "Queso de mano" (handmade cheese)
#2. Hallacas- a tamale like dish using maize and plantain leaves and stuffed with different vegetables and meats.
#3. Arepa- a flatbread made from maize
These are just a couple of the dishes she described to me. I could tell by the tone of her voice that looking at her traditional food made her homesick. But the smile on her face and the excitement she showed when describing them made me want to try all of it. Anyone down to find a Venezuelan restaurant with me?
It's amazing how something as simple as food can bring everyone together! I hadn't even thought about talking about that with my partner, but now I'm curious about his favorite foods from home. Good post! Also, the arepas look delicious.
ReplyDeleteWe are priveledged here in the US to have so many different cultures living amongst our borders. We are able to sample foods from all over the world made just like they are in their native countries. Most countries don't have the access to genuine food from around the world. This gives us, as Americans, the ability to connect with and relate to people of other cultures even if we have never been to that region or country! It is an awesome thing indeed.
ReplyDeleteThe food looks great! I think it is cool that you and your conversation partner talked about specific dishes from her home country. I am going to make sure I ask my conversation partner about some of his favorite foods from back home. I think the hallacas look great!
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