Not much bigger than the palm of your hand, yet they pack a punch: arepas. As well as being filled with a generous helping of fish, meat, cheese or vegetables, these little maize flatbreads are also given a quick fry in the deep-fat fryer – and served hot and greasy as a result.
Arepas are popular amongst the residents of the Canary Islands: according to a search engine, on Tenerife alone there are 24 ‚areperas‘ – small restaurants – clustered together in both the south and the north, which mainly serve arepas. However, this hearty street food is not actually a typical Canary Islands dish.
After all, it originally comes from South America. For more than 500 years, the Canary Islands have maintained lively exchanges with overseas territories, particularly with Venezuela. Economic crises made Venezuela the number one destination for Canarians seeking refuge – to this day, their descendants there are often referred to as ‚Isleños‘, meaning ‚islanders‘.
How arepas came to the Canary Islands
Over time, many families returned to the Canary Islands. And they brought with them what is known as white maize flour, from which arepas are made. The flour has carved out a place for itself both in Canarian households and on the culinary scene.
Today, it is impossible to imagine life on the Canary Islands without arepas. Although they are often omitted from lists of typical Canarian dishes, arepas – despite their Venezuelan origins – are eaten with all manner of local specialities.
First and foremost, various types of cheese, such as queso blanco – which also goes surprisingly well with guava jam (dulce de guayaba) – are placed inside the maize medallions, which have been cut lengthways. Arepas are also often served with fresh squid (arepa marinera) or fried banana.
But what makes it genuine, authentic Canary Islands street food is – how could it be otherwise – the mojos. Many arepera stalls have squeeze bottles on hand containing a kind of mojo mayonnaise – thickened mojos, in mild green and spicy red varieties, which are generously spread over the arepa filling. Just like pepper and salt shakers, these bottles of mojo mayonnaise are practically a staple on the table.
Much like with a burger, taking a bite out of an arepa is a bit of a challenge, but very satisfying. Anyone who manages three arepas should be more than satisfied.
Arepa recipe to try at home
To make arepas yourself, you only need a few ingredients. White maize flour is available in every supermarket in the Canary Islands, but it’s a bit harder to find in Germany. The easiest way is to order the flour online in a bulk pack. And then you’re ready to go! You’ll need:
- 2 cups of white maize flour
- 2½ cups of lukewarm water
- 1 level teaspoon (tsp) of salt
- A frying pan and sunflower oil for frying
- 30 minutes to prepare the dough and filling
Put the maize flour and salt into a bowl. Then mix well. Gradually add the lukewarm water and knead everything with your hands until a soft dough forms.
Divide the dough into equal portions and shape them into balls. Then flatten them. But be careful – the discs mustn’t be too thin. Remember that the arepas still need to be filled! Optional: set the dough aside and leave it to rest for a while. Ten minutes should be enough. In the meantime, you can prepare the filling.
Place the Taler in a frying pan with sunflower oil and fry on both sides over a medium heat for about five minutes.
Fancy a tasty filling? Arepa Perico is a variation made with scrambled eggs – and it’s quick to prepare. You’ll need:
- 1 onion
- 1 tomato
- 3 eggs
- Herbs (freshly chopped coriander works well, but dried Italian herbs are also a good choice)
- Diced ham (simply leave this out for the vegetarian version)
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- Pepper
Dice the tomato and onion. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and mix in the paprika, salt and cumin. Then fry the onions in a pan until translucent and add the tomato. Fry both together for about another minute before adding the eggs.
Let everything cook through, stirring regularly. When the scrambled eggs are almost ready, add the herbs to the pan! And if you like ham, now’s the time to fry it briefly too.
And just like that, the delicious Perico filling is ready! Cut the arepas lengthways, fill them and enjoy with Mojo sauce. We hope you enjoy your meal. And by the way: no one counts calories when tucking into arepas! Tradition? Who knows…
How to make the perfect Canary Islands mojos
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