Arepas are a very important part of Colombian cuisine, as tortillas are for Mexican cuisine. In some parts of Colombia, like in my hometown of Antioquia, we serve arepas with almost every meal. I could eat them morning, noon and night with an array of toppings.
There are many different variations, shapes, and sizes of arepas throughout the country, depending on the region.
This Arepa Boyacense is from El Boyacá department of Colombia, located in the Andean region of the country, and it is made with yellow pre-cooked corn meal (masarepa), all purpose flour, sugar and fresh cheese. I love the combination of sweetness from the sugar with the salty cheese. This Arepa Boyacense is absolutely delicious.
Buen provecho!
Ingredients:
(6 Arepas)
2 cups yellow pre cooked cornmeal(masarepa)
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 + 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soft butter, plus more for cooking
2 cups of queso fresco, Colombian quesito or farmer cheese, crumbled
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl mix the masarepa, flour, water, milk, salt, sugar and butter. Knead with your hands for about 3 minutes moistening your hands with water as you work.
2. Form 12 small balls with the dough. Place each ball between 2 plastic bags or parchment paper, and with a flat pot cover, flatten to about 1/8-inch thickness.
3. Place cheese into the center of half the masa circles and top the with another masa circle of dough. Using your fingers, seal the edges around the arepas, which will prevent the cheese from spilling out.
3. Add the butter to a nonstick pan over medium heat. Place the arepas in the pan and cook about 3 minutes on each side, until a crust forms or until they are golden brown. Serve immediately.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for this!
My sons are adopted from the Boyaca region and we have had such a hard time finding a recipe for these delicious arepas. They don’t consider any other arepa to be legitimate. The key seems to be the cheese, and the type of cheese used in Boyaca doesn’t seem to be available here. I’ll try your substitutes though and see if they pass the kid test!
This reminds me of the Venezuelan cachapa. This is a wonderful recipe that I will try one of thee days…how I wish I had you as a neighbor. You know how much I love my arepas….
I lived in Venezuela for a couple of years, and cachapas were my favorite.
But cachapas are very different from arepas, which are also eaten in Venezuela; they actually prepare them without anything inside, pop them open and then stuff them with whatever they want, (often, deviled ham).
Arepas in Colombia also come in may different styles; in Santander,, for example, they are stuffed with grated yellow cheese, and on the Atlantic
coast, they actually fry them with an egg inside. Yummy!
i would love the sweetness of these! plus, that fresh cheese is so appetizing.
Looks great Erica…love the fresh cheese in it.
Have a wonderful week!
This looks and tastes amazing!
Thank you for bringing a little of Colombia to our kitchens!
Hola! Me gustan mucho las arepas pero aqui en europa es muy dificil encontrar harina de maiz pre-cozida… no sabes si las puedo hacer com harina de maiz amarilla ( que no esta precocinada ne blanqueada)? Sabes de alguna receta mas tradicional que no use esse tipo de harina?
Gracias!
Voy a mirar y te respondo mas tarde.
Hola Erica,
Yo tengo la misma pregunta como Peg, porque aquí en Suiza tampoco no consigo harina de maíz pre-cocinada pero si encontré harina de maíz blanca en una tienda comestible española.
He probado la receta con esta harina, pero la masa quedo muy empapada y fue imposible de amasarla y formar bolas.
Gracias por tu propuesta!
Saludos desde Basilea.
Jenny