The sweet-savory flavor is what makes cachapas special. These rustic and thin Venezuelan corn pancakes are filled with cheese.
Corn in Venezuela
Although cachapas are also a well-known dish in Colombia, their origin comes from the central region of Venezuela.
The indigenous people who populated the north-central Miranda region of Venezuela cultivated corn. This cereal was worshiped by the indigenous people and considered of divine origin.
Corn was so special that their worship even became associated with the Christian religion, where they would sow the corn kernels on the feast day of San Isidro Labrador (Saint Isidore the Farm Laborer) to pay tribute to the farmers.
This custom is still done in some Venezuelan farming towns.
What is cachapa?
Cachapa is a thin pancake made with ground fresh corn, cheese, and panela (or sugar), cooked in a budare (a clay or iron plate).
It is then served with queso de mano (Venezuelan fresh cheese) and butter.
This type of cachapa is also known as cachapa de budare.
Cachapa de hoja
Cachapa de hoja (leaf cachapa) has the same ingredients as cachapa de budare, but the batter or dough is wrapped in corn leaves and cooked in boiling water. (It looks like tamales)
A Venezuelan street food
Nowadays cachapas are sold ready and refrigerated in supermarkets, but as any Venezuelan would say, there is nothing like eating it from the streets, where people make their own dough.
Those are called homemade!
Variations in the recipe
The recipe, although simple, has evolved some in the past few years. More people are using canned or frozen corn, as it is easier to obtain throughout the year.
To thicken the batter, corn flour (Maseca) or all-purpose flour is used.
Cheese is often only used for the filling and not in the batter.
What is queso de mano (hand cheese)?
Queso de mano is one of the most popular cheeses in Venezuela. Its origin dates from approximately the sixteenth century.
Its name comes from the process of making this cheese: once the milk has curdled, it is boiled, and it is given a circular shape by hand.
This cheese is creamy, juicy, and smooth, and many Venezuelans replace it with fresh mozzarella when they are making cachapas outside of Venezuela.
Sometimes you can find queso de mano in Latin American stores around the USA.
Difference between arepas and cachapas in Venezuela
Arepas and cachapas are very popular in Venezuela. They look similar, but the ingredients and how they are served are different.
A Venezuelan arepa is a type of round and flattened bread, which is made with corn flour and its origin dates back to pre-Columbian times. In those times, the indigenous people ground dry corn between two smooth stones to make flour, formed the arepas, and then cooked them in the aripo, a clay plate.
Arepas are filled with different stews and veggies. One of the most popular fillings is made with chicken and avocado.
Cachapas on the other hand, are golden fried corn cakes made from fresh corn. They are tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. They come stuffed with queso de mano.
Arepas are sliced to make a little pocket and then filled, while the cachapas are folded in half to put the cheese on them.
Either make a delicious snack or breakfast!
Yield: 6 pancakes
The sweet-savory flavor is what makes cachapas special. These rustic and thin Venezuelan corn pancakes are filled with cheese.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh corn, cut from the cob*
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 Tbsp masa harina
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
Instructions
- Add fresh corn, egg, milk, corn flour, sugar, and salt in a blender and blend until a thick paste form. Let stand for about 10 minutes for the mixture to thicken. (If your mixture is still too thin, add a little more masa harina or flour to thicken it to a spoon-able consistency.)
- Preheat a 5-1/2 inch frying pan, over medium heat.
- When the pan is hot, add some butter to grease it.
- Pour 1/3 cup of batter into the frying pan, making a circle around the pan.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes and flip with a spatula. Cook for 3 more minutes until the cachapa is golden brown.
- Place sliced mozzarella on one half of the cachapa and let it melt. Fold the other half over the cheese and spread some butter on top. These are best if served hot, straight from the skillet.
Notes
*If you would like to use frozen corn, be sure to defrost it thoroughly and be sure any moisture has been drained off. For best results, let it set in a sieve while defrosting, to allow the moisture to drain. And then, spread the corn out on a paper towel to dry thoroughly. Without this step, the extra moisture may make your batter too thin.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 222
If you liked this recipe, here are some similar dishes you may enjoy!
- Golfeados (Venezuelan Cheesy Rolls)
- Pupusas de Queso (El Salvadoran Cheese Stuffed Tortillas)
- Imeruli Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread)
- Bolón de Verde (Ecuadorian Green Plantain Fritters)
- Venezuelan Arepas
- Empanadas de Membrillo (Argentinian Quince and Cheese Empanadas)
- Mealie Bread (South African Sweetcorn Bread)
- Southern Skillet Cornbread
Lizet
Lizet is Bolivian and lives in Paraguay. Through friends and travel she has developed her love of food. From Africa to Asia, Europe to the Americas, there is always something new to try when you come to dinner. You can find more of Lizet’s tasty creations on her website ChipaByTheDozen.com. You can also find her on Instagram and Facebook.
